File photo, courtesy PID
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday decided to convene an all-parties conference (APC) to discuss “important challenges” facing Pakistan, including a struggling economy and a resurgence of terrorism.
According to a statement issued by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the premier has invited the heads of all political parties to join him in Islamabad on Feb. 7 (Tuesday). In addition to the parties comprising the ruling coalition, an invitation has also been extended to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), she said, adding that Law and Justice Minister Ayaz Sadiq has been tasked with contacting the party’s senior leadership to convince them to participate.
The APC is being seen as a major and timely development for political stability, as the PTI and the government continue to face off on almost all major issues, including how to tackle terrorism. PTI Chairman Imran Khan maintains that the solution lies in ‘resettling’ fighters of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the country, while various government ministers have stressed that dialogue has consistently failed and a military solution is required.
Apart from the APC, the prime minister also invited two representatives from the PTI to participate in an Apex Committee meeting held in Peshawar today (Friday), which would include the participation of police, Rangers, officials from intelligence agencies, and others stakeholders. The meeting aims to deliberate on this week’s suicide bombing in Peshawar and seek suggestions on how to eradicate terrorism and upgrade the capacities of provincial police and the counter-terrorism department.
However, the move appears to have failed even before its commencement, as the PTI opted to boycott the Apex Committee meeting. In a media interaction on Friday morning, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar also claimed that the party would not attend the APC.