Peace talks: Imran demands another APC

Asks govt to tell the nation about repercussions from a possible breakdown in negotiations.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Friday proposed another all parties conference (APC) to settle the crunch question of whether the authorities should negotiate with the militants or wage war against them.

He also called upon the government to tell the nation about any possible headway achieved in the peace talks with the militants.

“Call an APC to chalk out ultimate strategy on talks with the Taliban,” Imran asked the government in a press conference on Friday. “If you [Premier Nawaz Sharif] are unable to resume the proposed talks with them [Taliban], give me the mandate to cope with militancy. I’ll bring peace to the country,” Imran said.



He also asked the government to take the nation into confidence over repercussions in case peace talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) collapse.

PTI itself cannot open the peace talks with the TTP as it does not enjoy the powers available to the federal government which commands the armed forces.

Referring to his meeting with PM Nawaz Sharif in the APC held in September last year, Imran said: “I asked him whether or not he had asked America to stop drone strikes.”

Imran recalled that PM Sharif had assured him that they would take up this issue with the United Nations. “Why will the Taliban talk to you [PM Sharif] now?” Imran said.

North Waziristan

Imran Khan stated that after attending the September APC, he found out that the North Waziristan military operations had a 40% success rate. He added that the remaining unsuccessful operations result in suicide blasts and unrest all over the country.

Imran said that K-P does not has the facilities to protect itself as 700 police members have been killed in the province.

Fresh anti-polio campaign in K-P

PTI provincial government is going to start a fresh campaign to eradicate polio from the province. Imran Khan also said Dr Shakil Afridi was partially responsible for the spread of polio in K-P. Dr Shakil Afridi helped CIA locate Osama bin Laden through a fake immunisation campaign. It was because of Dr Afridi that the people have become suspicious of health workers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2014.