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Opposition won’t attend APC called by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt

Opposition won’t attend APC called by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt

Web Desk
Jul 23, 2025

JUI-F won't attend APC called by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govt

PESHAWAR: The opposition parties — PML-N, JUI-F, PPP and ANP — have decided to boycott the All Parties Conference (APC) summoned by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, as the gathering is planned to discuss the issue of rising terrorism in the province.

Making the announcement, Leader of Opposition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Dr Ibadullah Khan on Wednesday cited the provincial government’s decisions, which, he said, lacked seriousness.

“Sitting on the same table isn’t a solution he remarked.

Demanding a comprehensive and transparent debate on the floor of the House, Ibad said, “It’s time for practical steps, not statements.”

He said the opposition parties would formulate the future course of action jointly and asked the PTI-led government to prove its seriousness through actions.

Earlier, the party spokesman, Abdul Jaleel Jan, announced that the JUI-F would not attend the APC, as he shared the decision made by the JUI-F leadership.

Similarly, the PPP described the event just a “showpiece” and the ANP said there was no need for the APC given that the provincial government had already taken the decisions.

‘POLITICAL CONSENSUS’

Last week, the chief minister had decided to convene the APC on July 24 (Thursday) to develop “political consensus” and devise a “strategy” to establish peace amid an alarming increase in terrorism, with a special focus on the erstwhile tribal region.

However, the PTI is against military action against terrorists and stands for dialogue with them.

The move came as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has been criticised for its failure to tackle the rising terrorism.

Meanwhile, the PTI founder, Imran Khan, is blamed for the return of terrorism in Pakistan, as he had allowed the TTP members to relocate and settle in the province — a move that produced devastating results.

How to tackle the terrorism challenge in the former FATA while introducing necessary reforms has become a contested issue, given that the PTI is against any involvement by the federal government.

‘COSTLY CUP OF TEA’

But the critics are of the view that the PTI government has failed to improve governance and maintain law and order in the province badly hit by a rising tide of terrorism.

That’s why both the political and military leadership have repeated stressed the need for strengthening the civil administration in the province which saw the then Imran Khan-led federal government to allow the terrorists resettle in the tribal region.

Imran, in fact, famously declared after the Kabul takeover that the Afghan Taliban had “broken the shackles of slavery”.

But Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar earlier this month said “having a cup of tea” in Kabul and opening Pakistan’s borders to terrorists were very damaging moves, a reference to the policy of the then PTI government after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.

‘DECISIVE ACTION’

Also on Wednesday, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi reminded the people about the urgency to address extremism and terrorism.

He told a gathering in Islamabad that extremism was again on the rise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — the two western provinces of Pakistan, witnessing an alarming increase in terrorism acts.

Previously, the military leadership at the last Corps Commanders Conference said that “it is imperative to take decisive and holistic actions at all levels against the proxies backed and sponsored by India”.

During the meeting, it was observed that “India is now doubling down to further its nefarious agenda through its proxies of Fitna Al Khawarij and Fitna Al Hindustan”, following its manifest defeat in direct aggression against Pakistan after the Pahalgam incident.