Confronting challenges: K-P chief minister to attend security meet

Federal govt has also invited leaders of parliamentary parties

ISLAMABAD: The political tiff between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may be heating up, but it is not going to keep Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak from attending a crucial meet-up next week that would be presided over by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Khattak is scheduled to take part in the meeting convened to review security measures under the National Action Plan (NAP) in the backdrop of current security challenges.

Requesting anonymity, a PML-N leader told The Express Tribune that the K-P government had immediately confirmed the chief minister of K-P’s participation.

The invitation to attend the meeting was sent out earlier this week.

Chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan will also participate in the upcoming meeting, sources stated.



K-P’s Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani said: “India’s recklessness and irresponsible behaviour has created (a lot of) security concerns. The eastern border and Line of Control (LoC) used to be calm. Political differences aside, the purpose of the CM’s participation in the meeting is to devise a collective policy that best serves the national interest by ensuring counterterrorism measures envisioned under the National Action Plan (NAP). We support the efforts of national unity against terrorism and for countering threats posed by India.”

Referring to the issue of outstanding dues amounting to Rs230 billion against the federal government, the KP information minister said. “This issue won’t be discussed at the upcoming meeting. There is an appropriate forum for everything … For us, national interest is far more important than anything else.”

PM’s Adviser Amir Muqam welcomed the decision. “Political differences can wait. There must be no compromise on national interests. Current challenges faced by our country demand complete political unity … to map out an … effective strategy against terrorism and security threat posed by India,” he told The Express Tribune. Inputs from provinces would help in effective implementation of NAP, strengthening the counterterrorism drive, he added.

The federal government has also sent out invitations to leaders of parliamentary parties, asking them to attend an important meeting being chaired by PM on Monday.

The meeting is being held to “evolve a joint response on Kashmir and the situation on LoC”, a brief statement from the PM House said on Saturday.

PTI and other political parties have confirmed that they would attend the meeting.

Monday’s meeting would be used as a launching pad for continuing discussions at the parliament’s joint session on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2016.