Pakistan's federal government is ready to invite all political parties to a Shehbaz Sharif counterterrorism discussion, adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah told the Senate on Tuesday. He said the offer holds if the opposition agrees to sit down and sets other demands aside. The remarks come after the Centre imposed emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a development the opposition has protested.
Sanaullah's offer and its conditions
Speaking in the upper house of Parliament, Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was willing to invite parties to find a way forward on counterterrorism, including how operations could be backed by the whole nation. He urged political parties to put other demands aside and stand united in tackling terrorism. The Shehbaz Sharif counterterrorism offer, as Sanaullah framed it, applies only if parties agree to take part. No date for such a meeting has been announced.
Sanaullah also voiced sorrow over the death of an army officer a day earlier and said terrorism had risen in the country. He accused the opposition of running propaganda against the head of the institution and of making below-the-belt remarks.
The KP emergency and the political dispute
The Centre announced the emergency and governor's rule in KP on October 11, citing what it called the PTI-led provincial government's “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism. Governor's rule means the federal government takes direct charge of a province's administration. Parliament endorsed the decisions last week, amid opposition protests.
Sanaullah criticised National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, saying Achakzai does not accept the speaker's authority and has refused to meet the Prime Minister. He also said the KP chief minister attended only one apex committee meeting in 11 months; apex committees are high-level security forums. Sanaullah recalled earlier talks with PTI, which agreed on a political committee with members from both sides. Those talks broke down on a single point: whether PTI would support federal counterterrorism efforts.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry repeated the call, saying he had extended an invitation a day earlier and was inviting opposition parties again to build a consensus against terrorism. He asked why such a consensus could not be developed, at least on this issue, and said political differences should not compromise the national interest.
Chaudhry said controlling terrorism in KP was practically impossible without the provincial government's full cooperation with federal institutions, the Pakistan Army and security agencies. He said the provincial government had refused to cooperate on Afghanistan policy, particularly efforts to stop cross-border infiltration, and called that the only reason for the emergency. He also said the PTI was not prepared to condemn terrorism, and blamed networks linked to militants and smuggling for the persistence of terrorism. These are the government's claims and have not been independently confirmed.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- October 11: The Centre imposes emergency and governor's rule in KP, citing the PTI-led provincial government's “deliberate disengagement” from counterterrorism.
- Last week: Parliament endorses the emergency and governor's rule amid opposition protests.
- Earlier this month: Federal government and PTI talks agree on a political committee but break down over PTI's support for counterterrorism efforts.
- A day before Sanaullah's Senate remarks: An army officer is martyred; Sanaullah expresses sorrow in the Senate.
- Tuesday: Sanaullah tells the Senate the government is ready to invite all political parties to build consensus on counterterrorism.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Hukumat ne kaha hai ke woh tamam siyasi jamaaton ko dehshat gardi par mutafiq hone ke liye bulane ko tayar hai. Sanaullah ke mutabiq shart yeh hai ke opposition baithne par raazi ho aur doosre mutalbat ek taraf rakhe. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mein emergency aur governor's rule 11 October ko lagaye gaye thay. Abhi tak bijli, petrol ya safar ki qeemton mein koi tabdeeli ka elaan nahi hua; asal asar amn aur KP ke intezami faislon par hai.
