TTAP urges joint session on Afghan crisis
An opposition parties' alliancethe Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP)has demanded that a joint session of parliament be convened immediately to formulate a clear and unanimous national policy on the Afghan situation.
According to a statement issued after a TTAP meeting in Islamabad on Sunday, the participants fully endorsed the stance of the Saudi government regarding the current situation in Afghanistan.
The TTAP meeting was convened a day after Afghan forces opened fire at multiple locations along the borderincluding Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir and Chitral areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Zhob district in Balochistan province.
The Pakistan Army responded swiftly and forcefully and its retaliatory action resulted in the death of 200 Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operatives. Twenty-three soldiers of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom during the clashes.
The opposition alliance emphasized that Pakistan should seek a lasting solution to Pakistan-Afghan issues through understanding and dialogue.
The communiqué said that the Afghan issue should be resolved on the basis of regional harmony and mutual trust so that peace and stability in the region can be achieved.
It noted that developments in Afghanistan have a direct impact on Pakistan and therefore all political forces should be taken into confidence to make decisions in the national interest.
The meeting also discussed in detail the country's political situation and the process of power transfer in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) where the PTI, the ruling party, has decided to replace the incumbent chief minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, with another party stalwart, Sohail Afridi.
The statement expressed deep concern over obstacles in the transfer of power in the K-P, stressing that the process should be completed in accordance with the Constitution without delay, and that the federal government must refrain from any interference or pressure.
The meeting asserted that the election of the new K-P chief minister is the PTI's constitutional and democratic right, which cannot be violated under any circumstances.
The communiqué warned that if horse-trading, political pressure, or any unconstitutional measures were employed during the chief minister's election, the federal government would bear full responsibility.
The TTAP meeting was held at the residence of Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar with Mehmood Khan Achakzai, chief of the PkMAP, in the chair.
Those present included PTI leaders Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser, former Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair, MWM Vice Chairman Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi, BNP leader Sajid Tareen, Sindh United Party leader Zain Shah, and other leaders.