K & P

Developing consensus: Provincial govt gets nod from major parties for APC

PPP, PML-N, JUI-F and JI on board to discuss strategy on negotiations with militants.

Our Correspondent January 16, 2013

K-P Minister for Information and Culture says it is undemocratic and criminal to use children as shields to fulfil political motives. PHOTO: NNI/FILE

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government said four political parties have responded affirmatively to the upcoming all-parties conference (APC) on negotiations with the Taliban.

While addressing a book launch ceremony in honour of Mian Rashid Hussain, son of K-P Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the current atmosphere is suitable for talks with militants and all political parties should join hands with the government.

“We have consulted Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Jamaat-e-Islami for the APC and they have all agreed to it. We will talk to other major political parties and try to bring them on board too,” Mian Iftikhar said.

He added that Awami National Party Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan will convene the APC soon and then the provincial government will meet the president, prime minister and army chief to discuss the matter further.

The provincial government’s spokesperson strongly condemned the long march being carried out by Minhaj-ul-Quran’s Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and said it was undemocratic and criminal to use children as shields to fulfil political motives.

“Qadri keeps changing his demands and wastes his energy on issues which have no clear agenda. Elections will not be delayed for a day and there is no chance of governor rule in K-P because people trust us and we have delivered in our tenure,” he said.

Earlier this month, the ANP had decided to convene an APC to chalk out a clear strategy to combat terrorism and to bring all political parties together to take their views on negotiations with the Taliban.

The book launch, held at Peshawar Press Club, was organised to launch a collection of poems written by various Pashto poets in honour of Rashid Hussain. Rashid was killed by unidentified men in his ancestral town of Pabbi in July 2010. He was Mian Iftikhar’s only son.

Minister for Sports and Tourism Aqil Shah, Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development Sitara Ayaz and prominent Pashto singers Humayun Khan, Bakhtair Khattak and others attended the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2013.