THE announcement of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) on the issue of terrorism in the backdrop of dastardly train attack in Balochistan is a step in the right direction as the proposed moot, if called after proper homework, has the potential to come out with a consensus national response to the menace.
The PM, who visited Quetta on Thursday and chaired a high level meeting on law and order in Balochistan, called on the leadership to sit together, learn lessons from the past and devise the strategy to overcome the challenges facing the nation.
The Jaffar Express tragedy is proving to be yet another turning point in the country’s war against the terrorism after the successful campaign undertaken following the APS incident in Peshawar in December 2014.
This is reflected in the unanimous resolution passed by the National Assembly on Thursday wherein the House expressed the resolve to take every possible measure to eliminate terrorism from every corner of the country, affirming that no group, individual and ideology that seeks to undermine the nation’s security, prosperity and sovereignty would be allowed to spread fear, hatred and violence within the territorial limits of the country.
It also pledged not to allow any terrorist activity to go unchecked, ensuring that whoever attempts for destabilization, faces full force of the law.
Similar views have also been expressed by all spectrums of national leadership including opposition politicians with the PTI also demanding an APC on the issue of terrorism.
This is significant in view of the track record of the party to stay away from such forums and the trend of using social media to advance political objectives even during tragedies like the one the nation witnessed in Balochistan.
It is, however, strange that the PTI wants APC on terrorism in Balochistan, raising question whether it doesn’t want an all-encompassing approach to the national threat, leaving aside the KP where it rules.
We have been emphasizing, time and again, that a comprehensive strategy needs to be evolved in view of the renewed surge in terrorism, which has many dimensions including external linkages as confirmed during the train attack when calls of the terrorists were traced back to Afghanistan.
The recommendations of the APC should be referred to the Parliament for discussion and fine-tuning with the ultimate objective of formulating a robust response to the challenge.
