Chairman PTI, Imran Khan, today issued the following statement with regard to the APC and its postponement by the government. “I had asked for a meeting to be held between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, General Kiyani, and myself two months ago when I was still laid up in hospital. My reason was, and remains, simply to get to the truth of: one, the government’s (including the military) prevailing commitment/understanding with the US on its War on Terror and Drone attacks; and, two, the position of the Intelligence and Security Organisations on sectarian terrorism. “I realised that perhaps the facts cannot be stated in a large open forum like an APC because of national security, but at the same time it is essential for the political leaders to be apprised of these facts regarding the extent of the commitments still given to the US as well as the reasons behind the continuing sectarian terrorism. For far too long the governments have refused to take political leaders into confidence and have outrightly lied to the people. So the truth as it were tends to come out in leaked bits of news, either through Wikileaks and books written by US authors, as happened in the case of President Zardari’s covert assent to drones; or in statements like the one from Asfandyar Wali stating the US did not want the ANP to have a peace deal with the Swat Taliban, after the Swat military operation. Most recently, Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali also stated on the floor of the House last month, that that entire security apparatus along with the security agencies had failed in curbing terrorism in Balochistan. It is imperative to know why as the Interior Minister stated he was “shocked” to make this discovery. Hence my request for a closed door meeting which should precede any APC. “Three APCs have already taken place but because the previous government continuously lied to Parliament and the people on the understandings given to the US, nothing was achieved beyond rhetoric encompassed in resolutions that were discarded almost as soon as they were written. It is also worth recalling that after the two APCs, one organized each by the JUI F and ANP, the Taliban stated that dialogue would only be worthwhile if the military was also on the same page. “Today also it is imperative that the present government inform the political leaders what the nature of their understanding is with the US. Is the IMF package part of the understanding on Pakistan remaining in the War on Terror, for instance? We also need to know whether the military is on the same page as the civilian leadership, because without this clarity no dialogue or any other kind of agreement on counter terrorism can proceed successfully. “Unless there is a discourse based on truth, our country will continue to bleed. Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, is bearing the brunt of the terror attacks and unless all the major Pakistani stakeholders are on board the government in that province cannot effectively deal with the law and order situation and terrorism. “So I again want to put forward my request for a closed door meeting to ascertain all the facts before a more public APC is held to formulate a holistic counter terror policy premised on facts on the ground, not mere political rhetoric once again.”
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 06:35:37 +0000
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