In the first step, the All Parties Conference (APC) will do justice to its name as Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf’s leader has announced that his party will participate. The back-channel talks for the conference, which seeks to discuss and finalize Operation Azm e Istehkam, have been ongoing since the apex committee on the National Action Plan announced the fresh military campaign against terrorists.

On a matter of such extreme national significance, there should never have been any splits over joining the APC. Issues of national security necessitate the presence of all political parties and stakeholders at the table. Nitpicking and boycotting moves imply how much the political fabric has been stained. It should never have come to the point where core national interests are subjected to petty political objectives.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains the worst-hit and most affected region regarding terrorism. With PTI forming the government in KP, it must be at the forefront of matters like a military operation. Reservations aside, the party must be forthcoming and a part of the dialogue, and better late than never, this realization has finally landed.

The conference must represent all departments, parties, and institutions. There is one shared objective: to bring stability back to Pakistan and eliminate or reintegrate the miscreants. A unified stance must emerge for the future course of action and the scope of Azm e Istehkam. Initial reservations came from both allies and the opposition. The government has acted maturely since the announcement and has come forward to explain what the operation will entail. Calling the APC now is the right way to proceed.

The conference proceedings must flow from a place of unity and Pakistan’s national interest. The rest can be debated and discussed.