ISLAMABAD: All Parties Conference (APC) organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) began on Thursday (today) to evolve a joint strategy for peace in the country, more than 30 political parties except PTI are participating in the conference, Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
The JUI-F Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman in his brief talk to media prior to the conference saidthat every stakeholder will have to be taken along in efforts to establish peace, adding his party-hosted APC is also meant to achieve the consensus over such efforts for peace.
Fazl said support will be sought during the conference for the decisions of the tribal jirga.
Leading politicians including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Nawaz Sharif, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussaion, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Syed Munawar Hassan, Aftab Sherpao, Waseem Ahmed, Hasil Bizenjo, Mushahid Hussain Syed are attending the conference.
The expected participation of ‘Tribal Jirga’ is significant with this effect that it could help creating road-map for ‘peace dialogue’ in future. As, TTP a day after the ANP’s APC declared that ANP has failed to come up with a roadmap for peace dialogue’ and that the moot was an ‘election’ move. However, nearly 24 political and religious parties had recommended that talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) should be the ‘first priority’ in any strategy to restore peace in the country.
About today’s conference, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said more than 30 political parties’ leaders including tribal elders would participate in the conference. Fazal said that Pak Army should be taken on board about the steps on restoration of peace as it is fighting the war on terror. “We have invited all the parties to participate in the APC and now its up to them,” he said responding a question.
When contacted, the JUI-F Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri said that his party has invited all the parties including PTI to attend this moot.
“JUI-F had decided to convene the APC on terrorism with the purpose of formulating a comprehensive and solid strategy to do away with the scourge of terrorism in the counter,” he added.
To a question, Haideri said they all related will come under discussion Taliban’s offer of talks and whether or not to accept it could aldo be deliberated.
Denying the reports about JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s participation in any talks with Taliban in Qatar, Haidri said that it was merely propaganda, as he had gone Qatar on the invitation of the JUI-F chapter.
When contacted, PTI’ leader Shafqat Mehmood said they were not going to attend APC as ‘this is just political gimmick’.
DND
