Pakistan: Opposition announces 'all parties conference' to address rising terrorism

The opposition alliance, Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ain-e-Pakistan, has announced plans to hold a "grand conference" aimed at tackling the surge in terrorism, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Express Tribune reported.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, opposition leaders accused the government of failing to address the security crisis, claiming it was a product of a rigged election and lacked legitimacy.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai, head of the alliance, said the government was incapable of handling the situation and called for an all-parties conference (APC) to develop a national consensus on the issue. "As head of the opposition alliance, I urge the people at the helm to step down. There is a need for holding a conference of all stakeholders," he stated.


He said that the February 2024 elections were rigged and argued that the current crisis was a direct consequence of the government formed in their aftermath. "The only remedy to the crisis is an APC," he added.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the nominal chief of PTI, condemned the March 11 hijacking of the Jaffar Express, highlighting that security forces had averted a tragedy similar to the APS attack through swift action. He criticised attempts to link PTI to the incident based on "shady social media posts," dismissing the accusations as baseless.

Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Hamid Raza pointed out the state of anarchy in the country following the attack and questioned who was responsible for it. "Was it the minister for defense [Khawaja Asif] or someone else?" he asked.

Stressing the importance of dialogue, he said, "The opposition wants to ensure the territorial integrity of the country and wants to see it progress. This is also the wish of [PTI founder] Imran Khan." He reiterated that the opposition had resolved to host a "grand conference" to address the crisis.

PTI leader Asad Qaiser termed the Jaffar Express hijacking a security lapse, stating, "If you had the moral courage, you would accept this fact."