Opposition parties in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have announced a boycott of an All-Party Conference (APC) on law and order set to take place today (Thursday).
The APC, convened by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, aims to discuss the surge in terrorist activities. Speaking to journalists after the boycott decision, he said the opposition had shown that they had no concern for public welfare.
Major opposition parties Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) all announced they would not participate in the APC. The Jamaat-e-Islami and the Qaumi Watan Party, however, said they would attend it.
In a statement, a JUIF spokesperson confirmed the party would not attend the APC. The ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain, meanwhile, said there was little need for an APC when the provincial government had already decided on how to proceed. PPP Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa President Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha said the APC was mere “eyewash,” noting several discussions on the issue had failed to yield any results. “The provincial government should first disengage from its sit-ins and protests and focus on addressing public concerns,” he added.
The PMLN, which rules in the center, said it would not participate.
Just days earlier, the same parties had agreed on a seat adjustment for the Senate to avoid any elections.
Earlier, in an invitation letter for the APC, the KP government had highlighted the need for consensus on measures to restore law and order, stressing on a unified strategy. Referring to the invite, Gandapur had said the government would brief participants on the security situation.