- Says govt should make sincere efforts to give dialogue process a chance
- Party chief Khan criticises govt for its anti-people economic policies, for printing 800 billion rupees in under three months
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday asked the federal government to make sincere efforts to initiate dialogue with the Taliban, adding however that the party would back military operations in case teh talk failed.
“The dialogue process should be given a chance. This is the only way to identify those who wish to hold dialogue… these groups are being funded by our enemies.”
“In order to have viable peace talks, the PTI remains convinced that there must be a structuralised approach,” PTI Chairman Imran Khan told a press conference.
He said his party was convinced that some forces were determined to sabotage the dialogue process and they should be thwarted.
Flanked by senior party leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Khan further said “military operations are always the last option, to be decided upon when all else has failed. Such operations must be clearly defined in terms of scope and goals.”
He said in case the dialogue process failed, the government should then launch an operation against the militants and in that case the entire nation would support it.
The PTI chief said the federal government had been given a clear mandate in the all party conference, adding that now the PTI demanded that the federal government implement the unanimously-adopted resolution in the greater national interest.
Talking about drone strikes, Khan said unmanned air strikes were not only violating international laws but were also challenging Pakistan’s sovereignty.
“One important promise that the federal government must fulfill, is its commitment to taking the drone issue to the UN Security Council without any further delay. Otherwise it will become evident that the federal government is not serious about the national consensus reflected in the APC,” Khan said.
He said even if a ceasefire was agreed to by all parties to the dialogue, the drone attacks would derail the process. “Therefore stopping drone attacks is critical to furthering any dialogue and peace process in the country.”
Criticising the government’s economic policies, Khan said those were “anti-people and comprised of unjustified price hikes which target the poor and the middle classes; of a free fall for the rupee; of spiraling inflation along with unprecedented note printing – 800 billion in under three months”.
The PTI chief said the poor people of Pakistan were being made to pay the price for the elite’s tax evasion and corruption.
He also criticised the government and the opposition for not taking the PTI into confidence in the process of appointing the NAB chairman.