PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday through a unanimous resolution urged the federal government to ensure implementation of the decisions of All Parties Conference (APC) especially holding talks with Taliban. Besides, it condemned in strong words the constant blasts, killing of innocent people and extended support to the Christian community.
The KPK Assembly met with Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid in the chair. A resolution moved by a minority member Askar Pervez was passed unanimously when the chair put it for voice vote.
The resolution said that attack on minorities was an attack on the ideology of Pakistan. “Despite all their internal differences and irrespective of their sects, the entire Pakistani nation think like one nation in difficult time and its unity could not be divided through such cowardice acts,” the resolution explained. The House extended cooperation to the minorities called upon provincial government to ensure minorities’ security.
It urged the provincial government to chalk out comprehensive programmes for the protection of their institutions as well. The resolution also appreciated the courage and efforts of Peshawarites in such tragic incidents.
Through the resolution, the House called upon the federal government to take immediate steps to ensure the implementation of the APC’s decisions particularly holding dialogue with militants so that the ongoing war could come to an end and peace be restored in the country particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Prior to the passage of the resolution, lawmakers from PML-N Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota, JUI-F Mufti Janan, Maulana Asmatullah, Mufti Fazal Ghafoor, Malik Noor Salim Khan, PPP Salim Khan, Provincial Ministers Mushtaq Ghani, Qalandar Lodhi, Shaukat Yousafzai, Shah Farman and others in their respective speeches strongly condemned terrorists acts and killing of innocent people.
Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said that burn centres would be established in Malakand, Dir, Chitral and Bannu within six months. He said the opposition that ruled the province did nothing for the welfare of people of the province. Winding up the debate, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Gandapur said the government had received prior information before suicide attacks on Church from the Interior Ministry but they had not pointed out the place of attacks.
He said they had directed the authorities and enhanced security but they did not know the exact target place. He said they had increased grants for the victims and injured and was making legislation. He said the task force has already prepared its recommendations in this regard.
The journalists covering proceedings of the House staged walk out in protest against the reported remarks of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak against the media. They however ended the boycott when Minister for Law Israrullah Gandapur, Shah Farman, parliamentary leaders of ANP and PPP Sardar Hussain Babak and Nighat Orakzai persuaded them.
EJAZ FOR GOVT MECHANISM
ON TALIBAN TALKS
Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: Chief of his own faction of Muslim League Ejazul Haq has said that the PML-N government seemed confused on the dialogue with Taliban and stressed the need for evolving a negotiations mechanism without any delay to save the peace initiative agreed upon in the All Parties Conference.
Talking to media here on Tuesday Ejazul Haq said that due to indecision on part of government about initiation of dialogue with Taliban all the parties were coming up with their own point of view on the peace parleys and adding to the already complex and confused situation.
He also pointed out the lack of coordination between the security agencies operating at federal and provincial level and said that to make the dialogue with Taliban a success all the stakeholders and departments dealing with the law and order situation should be on one page.
To a question he said that Armed Forces of the country were in the thick of the situation for past over a decade and fighting out militants in troubled areas but now they also wanted a negotiated settlement of the issue and had put their weight behind the political leadership. He asked Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Shairf to give final shape to the government’s modus operandi for dialogue with Taliban so that the confusion shrouding the whole exercise could be over and growing acts of terrorism would also come to a complete halt in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa province.
To another question he said that without bringing peace in the country economic stability could not be achieved and asked all stakeholders to show patience and give peace a chance.