ISLAMABAD:The PML-N and the PPP refused to sign a declaration adopted by an All Parties Conference (APC) that among other things demanded immediate halt to all military operations and described terrorism, extremism, and lawlessness as an outcome of poor government policies.
The APC convened in the federal capital by the ANP was attended by all major political parties.Speaking on the occasion, ANP chief Aimal Wali Khan said there are people in Waziristan — a district that has witnessed a number of military operations in the past two decades — who have not returned home for 12 years. He said such a situation could not be called development.
Khan said his party is not against Punjab and is pro-Pakistan. “But Pakistan does not give us equal rights. Asking for our rights should not be seen as being against Pakistan,” he added.Online marketplace for Pakistani handicrafts and products.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said there is a question mark on the political and parliamentary system of the country as the present government is not representative of the people but a government of the establishment. “Our peaceful protests and marches are branded as rebellion — this is what pushes movements toward revolt,” he said.
QWP chief Aftab Khan Sherpao said the government, not the establishment, should conduct negotiations with the opposition. “If direct talks are held, it will bypass parliament. The PM should convene a meeting and include representatives of the establishment.”
PML-N leader Irfan Siddiqui supported Fazl’s call for a national dialogue, adding that martial laws and dictators have hollowed out the state. However, he questioned if politicians’ hands were also clean.”This same army has defeated an enemy five times its size. If martial law was truly in place, such conferences would not even be possible.
“Pakistan will survive, the four provinces will endure, and no one will be allowed to undermine the Constitution. The army sees Pakistan from a Pakistani perspective,” he said.Online marketplace for Pakistani handicrafts and products.
A joint communiqué presented at the APC, however, caused a split among political parties. The PML-N and the PPP opposed the declaration, refused to sign it, and boycotted the press conference.
