Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousufzai on Wednesday reaffirmed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s stance to resolve terrorism issue by negotiating with the Taliban.
Yousufzai said, “Why we escape from talking to the Taliban when the Americans are engaged in dialogues with Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar.”
“Military actions and operations are no more solution. Solution to issue of terrorism rests in dialogue, therefore all of us need to adopt this option with open heart,” the info minister said this in an interview with Pakistan Today at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Peshawar.
Yousufzai said, “The PTI government is going to consult leaders of all political forces, representatives of various other professional groups, retired technocrats and public opinion makers on a strategy for tackling the issue of terrorism.”
He said, “Once consultation process is completed they would approach the federal government through a jirga for reconsidering its internal and external policies.”
The journalist-turned-politician was elected to the KP Assembly from Peshawar. He belongs to Shangla District and has defeated former health minister and former provincial president of PPP Zahir Ali Shah from KP-2 Peshawar-2.
Besides serving the PTI as provincial general secretary, the information minister remained adviser to Imran Khan. He was also the Khyber Union of Journalists president for three terms and had also served the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists as vice president and assistant secretary general. Yousufzai was also the office-bearer of the All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation.
Referring to suicide attack on funeral participants in Mardan, Yousufzai termed it a tragic terror act in which dozens of innocent people, including a PTI lawmaker, lost their lives. He said that investigations were in progress whereas the government had announced Rs 300,000 in compensation for heirs of each victim and Rs 100,000 for each injured person. The Health Department has also been directed to provide free health facilities to all injured persons.
To a question about terrorism, the minister said that in fact it was reaction of what he called presence of the US troops in Afghanistan and drone attacks in tribal areas. He said that the most suitable way to resolve this issue was dialogue with the stakeholders. In this respect, the PTI is considering to convene All Parties Conference (APC).
To another question, the minister expressed disappointment over coordination among law enforcement agencies.
“In couple of days, I observed lack of coordination among law enforcement agencies and this issue could be settled with exchanging of intelligence information’s and framing joint strategies in according to such information,” he remarked, adding, “There is no further recruitment in police force but the already force requires equipping and strengthening of capabilities.”
Stressing on participation of people in the government policies for tackling terrorism, Yousufzai said, “Without support and participation of masses no one could run the government or resolve the issues and challenges. On such grounds, the PTI leaders are determined to take common men in confidence regarding its political, administrative and economic policies.”
He said that the PTI leaders would go for consultation with the people on each and every issue, which was essential for implementation of its agenda regarding change.
