PICTURE VIA X (TWITTER)
ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party (ANP) has released a joint communiqué following an All Parties Conference (APC) it organized in Islamabad.
However, key political figures including PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and PPP leader Nayyar Bukhari refused to sign the document.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui stated that the communiqué reflected the ANP’s demands and positions, not those of his party. All three leaders walked out of the meeting as the communiqué was being read.
The joint communiqué strongly condemned all forms of terrorism, extremism, and lawlessness, holding flawed government policies responsible for the ongoing crises. It called for an immediate end to all military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and emphasized the need for comprehensive strategies to address the root causes of unrest.
The APC demanded the formation of a truth commission under judicial oversight to investigate human and material losses. It also called for the dismantling of so-called death squads and illegal armed groups and urged the government to ensure the protection of citizens’ lives and property.
The statement stressed full implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and the NFC Award, reaffirming provincial rights over natural resources. It called for the cancellation of illegal land allotments in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recognition of traditional land rights of tribal communities.
Participants opposed the proposed merger of the Levies Force into police in Balochistan and demanded that the Levies be modernized instead. They urged that all powers in the merged tribal districts be handed over to civilian administration.
The APC also called for repealing laws such as the “Action in Aid of Civil Power” regulation, releasing all missing persons, presenting them before courts, freeing political prisoners, and ensuring a safe environment for political activities.
The APC demanded an end to the travel restrictions on Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal and the repeal of discriminatory laws such as 3-MPO, Fourth Schedule, and similar provisions. It also called for lifting restrictions on free media and independent journalism, and the rejection of laws such as the PECA Act.
The conference condemned the failure to arrest the killers of Maulana Khanzeb, Mufti Munir Shakir, and others, and demanded a judicial commission to investigate Khanzeb’s murder.
Participants also urged the government to avoid involvement in foreign wars and adopt a neutral stance in global conflicts. They called for the reopening of Pakistan’s historic trade routes and for placing border trade under provincial jurisdiction. The APC demanded urgent rehabilitation of conflict- and terrorism-affected areas, compensation and livelihood opportunities for displaced persons (IDPs), and an emergency relief package for flood-hit districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Finally, the APC called on the federal and Punjab governments to hand over Rescue 1122 vehicles in their possession to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
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