The PML-N and the PPP on Sunday 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.
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.
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.
The communiqué termed the ongoing unrest, terrorism, and violation of rights in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan as a result of failed state policies, stressing that sustainable peace and progress in Pakistan could not be achieved without democracy, supremacy of the Constitution, and provincial rights.
It demanded immediate halt to all military operations in the K-P and Balochistan and establishment of a Truth Commission under judicial supervision to investigate human and financial losses.
The declaration described terrorism, extremism, and lawlessness as outcomes of poor government policies, calling for comprehensive measures to eliminate them. It called for disbanding all alleged "death squads" and illegal armed groups, ensuring the protection of citizens' lives and property.
It called for recognition of provinces' rights over minerals and resources in line with the 18th Constitutional Amendment and rejected the proposal to merge the Levies Force into the police in Balochistan, calling instead for its modernization.
The declaration also called for transfer of all powers in the merged tribal districts to the civil administration and abolition of laws like "Action in Aid of Civil Power".
It described enforced disappearances as blatant violations of the Constitution, demanding the recovery and production of all missing persons before courts.
It also called for release of all "political prisoners" and provision of a free environment for political activities. The APC also demanded immediate dissolution of unconstitutional bodies, "particularly the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)".
It also called for repealing unjust laws such as 3-MPO and the Fourth Schedule and condemned the government over its failure to arrest the killers of ANP leaders Maulana Khanzeb, Mufti Munir Shakir, and other martyrs.
It demanded rehabilitation of terrorism- and operation-affected areas, along with the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and provision of compensation, jobs, and business opportunities.
PPP's Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, PML-N's Irfan Siddiqui and Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry all declined to sign. "These are your demands, not ours and we cannot endorse them," Siddiqui said. The MQM, the PML-Q, and other parties, however, supported the declaration.
Participants also expressed sorrow over the natural disasters and devastating floods in the K-P. In light of the situation, the Islamabad "Peace March" scheduled for August 23 against terrorism and military operations in K-P was postponed.
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