ISLAMABAD - Awami National Party-sponsored All Parties Conference is being held in the federal capital today (Thursday) with the aim to evolve some national counter-terrorism strategy to bring peace and tranquility to the country.
Except Jamaat-I-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, almost all the mainstream and regional parties have confirmed their participation on this daylong conference to be held in a local hotel.
ANP Vice-President Senator Haji Adeel confirmed that JI and PTI had refused to attend the moot while another 27 parties have confirmed their participation with the aim to bring all the stakeholders on one platform to discuss this major issue confronting the nation.
He further said that the military establishment was also taken on board before the conference with the purpose to have a unified strategy to weed out this menace from the country.
Sources aware of the development informed TheNation that actually the moot was organised on the persuasion of the Army, as they wanted to see all the political forces and other stakeholders on same page to have a national counter-terror policy.
The ANP leader said that the conference would be open to suggestions and proposals from political parties on the issue and later they participants of the moot would come up with some unanimously adopted resolution which would serve as the broader counter-terrorism contours to formulate a national policy on this important issue.
ANP Central Information Secretary Senator Zahid Khan said around 27 political parties including PPP‚ PML-N‚ JUI-F‚ MQM‚ Pakhtunkhwa Awami Milli Party and major bar associations have confirmed their participation in the APC.
Giving his reflection on the moot Zahid Khan has said that terrorism is the major problem faced by the country‚ which is badly affecting our economy and all the stakeholders have to collectively find solution. No government alone can tackle this menace, he added.
He further said that they wanted to draw a roadmap for coming government and security forces with consensus, so that they could follow it to ensure peace in the country.