Against the backdrop of the recent US allegations and the security situation in the country, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani convened an all parties conference (APC) for September 29 (Thursday) on Monday to take the political and religious leaders of the country into confidence about the developments and to pass a strong message to the United States that the entire Pakistani nation stood united to protect its sovereignty.
The prime minister had decided to convene the APC after consulting the heads of political and religious parties. A source told Pakistan Today that security officials would brief the participants of the APC on the overall security situation. The conference would discuss the rising tensions between Pakistan and the US.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who would be returning immediately after her address to the United Nations General Assembly, would brief the political leadership about her meetings with US officials, among them Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The prime minister’s office on Monday continued contacting heads of political parties outside parliament to invite them to the APC. Another source said the prime minister would formally send invitation letters to all political and religious leaders inviting them to the APC. An official statement said the invitation letter mentioned the imperatives to hold the conference meant to give strategic direction to the nation in the wake of the security threats in the region.
“Initially, it was decided to hold the APC at 4pm on Thursday but after contacts with PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) chief Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, it was rescheduled for 2pm,” an official said, adding that the meeting would start soon after Zuhr prayers.
PPP YET TO DECIDE: A source in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said it had yet to decide who would represent the ruling party at the APC. President Asif Ali Zardari, who is the co-chairman of the PPP, would not attend the conference, which would be chaired by the prime minister. The prime minister had held a consultative meeting with the party leaders to decide who could lead the party at the APC.
Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Leader of the House in Senate Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badar, Interior Minister Rehman Mailk, Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khurshid Shah, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Senator Babar Awan, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Nazar Muhammad Gondal attended the meeting. Apart from Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, the source said, PML-Quaid President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, National Assembly Opposition Leader Nisar Ali Khan, PML-Functional chief Pir Pagaro, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hussan, PPP-Sherpao chief Aftab Khan Sherpao, FATA Parliamentary
Gilani convenes APC on 29th
