The conference hosted by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was given briefing by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and DG ISI Lt Gen Shuja Ahmed Pasha. The conference lasted for four hours on agreeing on the contents of the declaration.
Commenting over the APC decisions, Information Minister Dr Firdous Aashiq Awan said that parliamentary committee, as described in the unanimous resolution, would oversee the affairs pertaining to the implementation of resolution and it would be constituted after having consensus during the upcoming session of the Parliament.
She said that the government through that resolution had tried to redefine the parameters of Pakistan?s support for ongoing war on terror. She said that 13-point resolution was not just a mere piece of paper as it had endorsement of 180 million masses of the country as well as representative of 30 political parties.
To a question, she said, ?We could not malign any single country in the current scenario that?s why during APC all the parties discussed things across the board.? She said even in the backdrop of that adopted resolution the government would not close its communication channel with any country, however, sovereign equality would be kept at first in this regard. She said the government would initiate dialogue process in parts of the country where its writ was relatively weak. Firdous congratulated all the political parties and the masses of the country on the occasion for unanimous adoption of the resolution.
MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi told media after conclusion of the APC, ?In case of any threat we as nation are united to fight for sovereignty of country. There should be no ambiguity as political forces leaving their differences would work for sovereignty, development and independence of country.? The MQM leader added that there was consensus over peace and reconciliation. He was of the view that there was a dire need for political strategy to resolve the issues. He said that independent foreign policy needed strong interior policy. He said the political leadership needed to adopt prudent policies rather than emotionalism. The MQM leader said MQM was satisfied with APC and a parliamentary Committee be formed to oversee the implementation of earlier resolutions as well as this resolution and progress on the same be made public on monthly basis.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan said there were some loopholes in the government resolution and taking initiative PTI went for redrafting. Seemingly Imran was not much optimistic, but he remarked that it was up to the government for its implementation in true letter and spirit. ?PTI from the day first had opposed military operation in Waziristan,? he said, adding that time had come to give chance to peace. ?We participated in the APC to give strength to government for national cause.? He was of the view that dialogue with militants was the only way forward to resolve issues. Talking about the resolution adopted in the APC, he said that a parliamentary committee would be formed to oversee the implementation of earlier resolutions as well as this resolution.
Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed said that nation was united to combat against if any steps taken against the sovereignty of country. ?Nation is united and no one dare to do so,? he added. When asked about Haqani network, he said that it was informed that Pakistan military forces had no links with Haqani network. He said that the Parliament?s implementation committee would then make sure the implementation on the unanimous resolution. He further said that General Kayani had briefed the APC members twice.
JUI-F Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said nation was united against if any step taken against the sovereignty of the country. ?For the defence of the country we will leave no stone unturned,? he added.
To a question, he said that drone attack issue was not discussed in the APC but he had given suggestion about one solid policy on it.
Jamat-e-Islami Ameer Prof Munawar Hassan said that asked for independent foreign policy which mean no drone attacks or military operation be allowed in north Waziristan. He said that APC resolution should be implemented with true spirits.
JUI-S chief Maulana Sami-ul-Haq said that there was a need to implement all resolutions passed by the Parliament and the parliamentary committee on national security. ?We would fight for the sovereignty of country,? he added.
Pakistan?s military command slammed the US policies as the country?s establishment and political leadership came together to ?redefine? Pak-US relationship at All Parties Conference on Thursday.
In a rare yet impressive exhibition of national unity, all the powerbrokers at APC were unanimously positive for forging national unity and collective responsibility on the issues concerning Pakistan strategically with particular reference to the US.
According to sources privy to the national moot, although Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Ahmad Shuja Pasha took the centre-stage to take on the US policies on Pakistan, the Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani shared his brief observation on Pak-US strategic ties that is seen as military?s ?policy statement? on its ?reviewed? ties with the US.
?Americans are confused, they don?t know what they?re doing. They?ve failed in Afghanistan and they don?t have too many options to go for,? sources quoted Kayani as saying. General Kayani reportedly gave these remarks while speaking at the political parties? heads exclusive gathering at APC
Earlier, the DG ISI, in his briefing, also carried this flavour of resented feelings towards the US policies that his boss had shared.
The ISI chief reportedly told the APC participants that Haqqani Network exercised unchallenged control over seven provinces of Afghanistan and it was entirely based there. He reportedly said that Haqqani Network was divided into three offshoots, and, of them, one of its wing was militant. ?Pakistan has intelligence contacts with non-militant wings of Haqqanis but we don?t support or fund them. They operate in Afghanistan and not in Pakistan. We don?t have any Haqqani militant bases,? Pasha reportedly said. He also mentioned last month?s militant attacks in Angooradda, (Waziristan), Chitral and Dir by Afghan militants saying that Pakistan was suffering at the hands of Afghan militants.
During Pasha?s briefing, the PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif interrupted to utter what was seen by majority of the APC participants as ?uncalled for? remarks. ?Even in the past, our military and ISI have faced such kind of serious allegations like supporting the terrorist elements. Something must be ?fishy? I?m afraid,? Sharif is quoted to have said. His seemingly unwelcoming remarks prompted Jamat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hassan to say, ?Mian Sahib, this is not the right platform to say things like that. We are here to develop national unity. It?s so regrettable that you played on a personal wicket.? An offended Sharif reportedly exchanged a series of heated arguments carrying allegations and counter allegations with Hassan before both the leaders were asked by their counterparts to let the things go. ?I would address your reservations,? General Kayani said to pacify the aggrieved Sharif who was not ready to calm down. ?Whose is to be blamed for May 2 security lapse?? Sharif asked referring to the Abbottabad operation.
Like General Kayani, Lieutenant General Pasha is also reported to have slammed the US accusation that Pakistan exports terrorism. ?They (US) have failed in Afghanistan and now they want to put the gun at our shoulder and pull the trigger! But we would not allow the situation to get to point of no return,? he reportedly said. This time Mehmood Khan Achakzai jumped in to address Pasha, ?You can bring peace in Afghanistan in a month if you desire.? General Pasha reportedly responded, ?We have no military presence in Afghanistan.?
Sources also shared some interesting details of the first draft of resolution presented by the Foreign Office and Prime Minister Secretariat that had nothing significant in it other than following Pakistan?s ages old passive official line. After the PTI leaders Imran Khan and Dr Shireen Mazari strongly rejected this official draft terming it ?useless?, ?pointless?, ?ineffective? and ?official mouthpiece?, Nawaz Sharif, Munawar Hassan and Shaikh Rashid also opposed the draft that led to its rejection. Imran refused to sign the draft resolution saying he would ?veto? it. The new thirteen-point draft of the resolution that was unanimously approved contained most of the points that are part of PTI agenda as mentioned in the party?s Wednesday press-briefings while only three points were taken from the rejected resolution. The PTI?s demand, ?Give peace a chance?, was mentioned as guiding central principle of the resolution.
?We?re glad that most parts of our demands regarding shifting the focus of military-centric approach to peace, dialogue and reintegration have been included to the entirety. Now, its up to the government to implement this resolution in letter and spirit? Dr Shireen Mazari, who had played active role in drafting the resolution, told TheNation.
Earlier, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani the APC by rejecting all US allegations against Pakistan and telling the US in unequivocal terms that the Islamic Republic could no longer be pressured to ?do more?.
?Our national interests should be respected,? said the prime minister reading out from his written speech in Urdu language, and then immediately extended an olive branch to the United States, saying ?Our doors for talks are wide open?.
This is the first such conference organised by the government, which has been in power for the past thee years and a half. Bellicose US statements and consistent allegations that the Haqqani network is a veritable arm of the ISI forced the ruling PPP to take all political parties on board in working out a joint strategy to deal with the imminent threat from a country with which Pakistan has been working for the past one decade.
About five dozen leaders of political and religio-political parties participated in the APC at PM House.
On the day the conference was held, senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was quoted as saying that support is growing in the US Congress for expanding American military action in Pakistan beyond drone strikes already used to target militants in Pakistani territory.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Gilani thanked all the participants for accepting his invitation and giving a message of national unity to the world. The purpose of the conference, he said, was to apprise the invitees of the situation in the region and work out a joint course of action. ?National security is our top most priority.? Pakistan, he said, was a strong and resilient nation, capable of meeting all challenges.
He said since the country had been affected by changes in the region, it had become imperative to discuss the situation and work out a strategy to avert challenges. He recalled the situation Afghanistan had been experiencing since 1979 due to conflict of interests of the two major powers there and the role Pakistan had been playing since then to bring about peace and stability to the war-torn country.
?Believing in principles of humanity and mindful of our responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, Pakistan has carried the burden of the international community and made relentless efforts in the interest of regional security, stability and peace. We are at a new turning point in the regional situation. The quest for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan is compounded by an increase in violence.?
He said the recent incidents of violence in Afghanistan had adversely affected the efforts being made for reconciliation. Pakistan fully supported Afghan-owned and Afghan-led efforts for the purpose. He said even a joint commission had been set up comprising himself and President Karzai, which agreed to formation of a trilateral core group comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States for the purposes of consultation, cooperation and coordination at the strategic and operational level. While these initiatives were going on that the situation started deteriorating in Afghanistan in general and Kabul in particular. Several incidents of terrorism took place ? one of which also led to the killing of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani.
His ?martyrdom? dealt a serious blow to the peace efforts, the prime minister said of the senior Afghan leader?s assassination.
Then, he said, the US started making allegations against Pakistan, ?which were quite surprising for us as they totally ignored our sacrifices for and successes against terrorist activities.? Rejecting all allegations, the prime minister reiterated that all issues should be settled through talks. ?We have always said that the only way forward is to engage constructively by deepening engagement at all levels.?
He made it clear that Pakistan could not be pressured to do more.
?Blame game is counterproductive. This should end and Pakistan?s red lines and national interests must be respected.? Holding out an assurance that Pakistan was keen in getting international cooperation, the prime minister said the nation was determined to safeguard its sovereignty.
He paid glowing tributes to the armed forces, saying the nation took pride in them as they had never disappointed the people. ?We?ll face all challenges through unity.?
He said the APC participants would rise above all differences to let the world know that the Pakistanis could find a solution to their problems and were united on the issue of national security.?
13 points of resolution
Friendly relations with all states on basis of sovereign equality, mutual interest, respect
n New policy on ?give peace a chance? principle
n Initiation of dialogue with own dissidents by creating new mechanism
n Enhancement of ties with Afghanistan
n Recognition of Pak sacrifices, colossal damage; world urged to the same
n Self-reliance through ?trade, not aid? and economic reforms
n No compromise acceptable on ?sacred duty? of national defence
n ?Supreme? national interests to guide policies at all times
n Promotion of peace on UN principles
n Affirmation of full support to armed forces
n Implementation of this and earlier Parliamentary resolutions, committees reports
n Formation of a committee for this purpose which shall make public its monthly reports
n Rejection of baseless allegations, derogatory to partnership approach
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