Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said the federal government was ready to invite all political parties and build consensus on counterterrorism.
Speaking in the Senate, the PML-N leader also urged the opposition to “set other demands aside”.
The PM’s aide’s remarks come after the Centre imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP on October 11, citing the PTI-led provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism. The decisions were also endorsed by the Parliament last week amid protests by the opposition.
“Even now, if all parties [..] can agree to sit down to discuss this issue, then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is willing to invite them and find a way forward (on counterterrorism) or how operations can be supported by the entire nation,” Sanaullah said, urging political parties to put other demands aside and “stand united” in tackling terrorism.
Sanaullah went on to criticise the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
“He became the leader of the opposition after the speaker signed off on his appointment; however, [..] he does not accept the speaker’s authority and is not even ready to meet the prime minister and has even refused to sit in the speaker’s chambers with the PM,” Sanaullah said.
Sanaullah then turned his attention to the rise in terrorism in the country, expressing sorrow at the martyrdom of an army officer a day earlier and said, addressing the opposition, “You are running propaganda against the head of this institution and [..] making below-the-belt remarks.”
He also assailed the members of the now non-functional PTI-led KP government for not attending apex committee meetings.
“In 11 months, there was one apex committee meeting in which the KP CM was in attendance, and the way he was brought there, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi already spoke about it,” Sanaullah said.
Recalling the federal government’s talks with the PTI earlier this month, Sanaullah said, “During the talks, we agreed on constituting a political committee comprising members from both sides; however, [..] the talks broke down on one single point — the PTI fulfilling its responsibilities and supporting the federal government in counterterrorism efforts.”
In the days preceding the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, political tensions between the Centre and the opposition — including the PTI, which was in power in KP — had remained high since jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party announced a protest march to Islamabad to demand his release.
Intense negotiations between the two sides a week before the imposition of governor’s rule had failed to yield any results, with counterterrorism policy being one of the main reasons behind the breakdown of their talks.
The PTI said it was being left out of security decisions concerning KP, which the Centre denied. It also called for reviewing the counterterrorism policy, while the latter criticised the KP government’s efforts to combat terrorism in the province and objected to its stance on dialogue with the Afghan Taliban.
Soon after, the Centre also authorised the deployment of Pakistan Army troops and assets in aid of civil power in KP.
Federal ministers have also alleged that the PTI-led government in KP had a “nexus” with terrorist groups, stating that the province’s security situation necessitated the imposition of emergency there.
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