Opposition should hold talks to end terrorism, politics cannot come before state: Tarar Fazal Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has invited the opposition to talks on a one-point agenda to end terrorism. He said all political parties must set aside their differences and build consensus on national security and the country’s survival, because hatred and political confrontation cannot bring stability to the country.

He said operations would continue until terrorism was eliminated completely, and there would be no compromise on the protection of the state.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said peace and order were essential for the country’s development, the promotion of investment and economic stability. He said political parties should adopt a joint plan against terrorism instead of putting the country at stake for political division and mutual rivalry.

Situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

He said there were security challenges in Balochistan, and the government was concerned about which countries were providing financial support and modern weapons to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). He said the Balochistan government was cooperating fully with the security institutions in operations against terrorists and was standing shoulder to shoulder with them.

Referring to the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the federal minister said the province faced a number of problems and that establishing lasting peace there was among the government’s priorities. He said local elders with a good reputation and record had been included in councils set up in 12 districts of the province, while intelligence-based operations against terrorism were continuing. According to him, development work in the affected areas would be speeded up once peace was established.

Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry alleged that India was supporting terrorists in Pakistan through Afghanistan. He said the elimination of terrorism was essential for the federal government and operations would continue until that goal was achieved.

Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he said the party had failed to eliminate terrorism during its 12 years in power. He said army and police officers and soldiers were laying down their lives in the fight against terrorism, so the political leadership should realise the seriousness of the issue.

The federal minister also invited the party of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to adopt a joint position against terrorism. He said leaders and workers of his party had also given their lives in terrorist incidents.

He rejected allegations about mineral resources and likened them to the cipher issue of the PTI founder. He said that if international companies signed agreements for the exploration and extraction of minerals, the health and interests of the local population must also be protected.

Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said Almighty Allah had blessed all four provinces of Pakistan with countless natural resources, and benefiting from them required peace, stability and a responsible strategy. He said the government was committed to bringing stability to the country and Pakistan had defeated India with a clear margin. According to him, the diplomatic efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were being praised internationally.

On the negotiation process, the federal minister said the government had held serious talks with the opposition and prepared four drafts one after another, but the opposition rejected them. He claimed that during the talks the government had also agreed to impose an emergency in only five districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa instead of 12, but the opposition’s negotiating committee declined at 2:30am to build consensus.

He said the federal government was still ready for talks and would be willing if the opposition wanted to talk. He said the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should cooperate with the federation to improve the law and order situation.

The federal minister added that governor’s rule in the province would remain in place for six months, while the imposition of an emergency had been made conditional on the complete restoration of peace. He stressed that the country could not be sacrificed to political interests and mutual hatred, because national security, peace and state stability came before all political differences.