Dispatch from Islamabad
By Agha Iqrar Haroon
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that political parties should express their opinion and give suggestions with regards to the peace talks with the Taliban. This statement of Mian Nawaz Sharif looks like a talk of a man who is patient of “early onset dementia”. Why he is asking for opinion of other political parties when just a month ago he had an All Parties Conference (APC) on 9th day of September, 2013, on his invitation to discuss Taliban issue and APC gave its verdict, opinion and green signal for dialogue with Taliban. Demanding opinion of political parties again indicates that Mian Nawaz Sharif has disease of lost of short memory or he wish to linger on the issue of resolving matters with Taliban after his visit of United States.
Leaders attending last APC were perturbed to note the continued non-implementation of the important recommendations relating to national security contained in (1) the Declaration of All-Parties Conference organized by the JUI(F) on February 28, 2013, (2) the Joint Declaration of the All Parties Conference for Peace convened by the ANP on February 14, 2013, (3) the Resolution of the conference of the leaders of all the political parties convened by then Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on September 29, 2011, (4) the Resolution adopted by the Joint Sitting of Parliament on May 14, 2011, (5) the Consensus Resolution passed by the in-camera Joint Sitting of Parliament on October 22, 2008 and recommendations thereon of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) in April 2009 and (6) Resolution adapting the Guidelines framed by the PCNS passed by the Joint Sitting of Parliament on April 12, 2012. Why Mian Nawaz Sharif again need consensus over this issue instead of following recommendations of all previous APCs, meetings and resolutions passed by parliament?
In last APC, political leaders were of the view that thousands of precious lives of innocent men, women and children and defence and security personnel have been lost in the war and there has also been colossal damages to social and physical infrastructure and huge consequential financial losses and adverse effects on economy of Pakistan but sufferings and sacrifices of the people of Pakistan have not received due recognition from the international community.
APC demanded a foreign policy, with focus on peace and reconciliation, and to attach the highest priority to dialogue. So the prime minister go for dialogue with those who were killing innocent people all over the country on the name of Islam instead of wasting time in demanding opinion for all those who already attended APC and gave following recommendations.
