ISLAMABAD: An All Parties Conference (APC) held today, Thursday, in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, blamed the federal and provincial governments for “failing” to address security challenges as the region faces a rise in militant attacks and weeks of sectarian feuding.
The APC has been marred by controversy since Wednesday when KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi announced the gathering and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which is the ruling party in the province, said it would not attend.
Kundi belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which is part of the ruling federal government coalition and a main opponent of the PTI. Most of the 16 parties attending the APC are rivals of the PTI, which has said only the provincial government had the mandate to convene such a gathering.
“The political leadership of the province expresses concern over the alarming deterioration of law and order in the province,” a statement released after the conclusion of the APC said. “The central and provincial governments appear to be failing in [controlling] the law and order situation.”
The declaration said the APC had decided to establish a “political committee and a technical committee with the representation of all political parties to look into the financial and political situation of the province and protect the interests of the province.”
The APC is taking place against the background of a rise in militancy in KP in recent months, with groups like the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, daily targeting security forces’ convoys and check posts, and carrying out targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
The province’s Kurram district is also currently in the grips of sectarian clashes, with at least 133 people killed and 177 injured in sporadic sectarian clashes since Nov. 21. A grand jirga was formed this week to broker a truce after two previous deals to stymie the fighting failed.
“The way in which violence has unfolded in this province, and the way this violence has taken our province in its grips, that is in front of everyone,” Kundi said at a press conference after the APC concluded.
“Holding this [APC] was important right now because people also question us that why political parties are silent. Because unfortunately our provincial government has not held a discussion on this [security issues] in the provincial assembly, nor in cabinet … so all of us here decided that we will hold an All Parties Conference to make a declaration on peace, on our resources.”
“Till date, since this [PTI] government has come to power, its performance has not been audited, its performance should be audited,” Kundi added. “When it comes to the peace and resources of the province, then everyone should get together … forgetting their political differences.”
He said the chief minister of KP, Ali Amin Gandapur, a senior PTI leader, should have hosted the conference, prepared an action plan and presented it to the federal government but the PTI instead declined an invitation to be part of the forum.
“They refused to accept the invitation because they may not be able to face the public and the political leadership, or maybe they don’t want to work for peace,” Kundi said.
KP government spokesperson Muhammad Ali Saif slammed the APC, saying the forum was called for “political point scoring” against the PTI and to build a narrative against the party.
