Direct talks with Taliban: Asif terms Gandapur’s stance ‘a direct attack on the federation’

ISLAMABAD: A day after Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said that the provincial government would hold direct talks with Taliban government in Afghanistan; Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday declared that any such move would be a direct attack on the federation.

Speaking in National Assembly, the minister said that the provincial chief executive must not have given the statement as no province has the authority to negotiate directly with any country.

“A province has no authority to hold direct talks with any country, and in this context, the statement made by Gandapur, is extremely dangerous,” he regretted.

He said the statement by the chief minister was continuation of the speech which he had made at a rally four days ago at Sangjani, adding “it’s deadly poison both the chief minister and his party.”

“The KP leadership is striding a dangerous path, one that could have severe consequences for their own party,” he warned without any further elaboration.

He emphasised that foreign policy was strictly within the federal government’s domain, and any provincial involvement could lead to instability.

In his remarks, the defence minister also reflected on previous instances of political oppression, mentioning how key political figures including Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, and Maryam Nawaz, had been targeted during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

He criticised the authoritarian practices of the former government, recalling how even meetings at Speaker Asad Qaiser’s residence were monitored by intelligence agencies.

Asif concluded by urging the current assembly to uphold the traditions established by previous National Assembly speakers like Ayaz Sadiq and avoid the controversial practices set by his predecessors.

In an obvious reference to the past extensions to army chiefs and the ongoing rumours about the service extension to the incumbent chief justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman regretted that the heads of top state institutions are busy in getting extensions, which is a disservice to the country.

“It’s a flawed policy that should apply equally to parliament,” maintained the heavyweight cleric.

He recalled how past military extensions were pushed through under pressure and questioned why such a privilege is not extended to lawmakers.

Rehman condemned the current judicial system, terming it outdated, and urged the government to collaborate with the opposition on judicial reforms.

He stressed that courts have become political entities, with some supporting one faction and others backing another, adding judicial reform was need of the hour as it made the judiciary impartial and restore public trust in it.

Highlighting ongoing police protests in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Rehman warned that “if law enforcement agencies stopped fulfilling their duties, it would severely impact the country’s security.”

He further criticised the extension process, particularly within the military and judiciary, stating “if this practice continues, parliament should be given the same rights.”

The JUI-F chief also addressed the issue of judicial case backlogs, pointing out that over 60,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court, and proposed the creation of separate courts to handle constitutional matters.

He concluded by stressing the need to modernise Pakistan’s judicial system, which he argued still operates under British-era laws, and urged that parliament be made supreme.

In the same breath, he condemned the attack on parliament by plain-clothes men to arrest PTI MNAs, saying the NA Speaker should have shut down the parliament for – at least – three days to register a strong protest.

Ten PTI MNAs arrested from the Parliament House’s premises in a late-night raid earlier this week were presented in National Assembly after their production orders were issued.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Sher Afzal Marwat expressed gratitude to the Speaker for issuing production orders but criticised the police for confiscating his personal belongings, including a pistol and five Kalashnikov rifles.

He rejected the charges filed against him, claiming he was falsely accused of tearing a police officer’s uniform. He said he along with his fellow parliamentarians was kept at Secretariat Police Station till 4pm after their arrest.

“We were neither given permission to talk to anyone nor provided any food. After 4pm, we were shifted to CIA [Crime Investigation Agency] Police Station, where we spent sleepless night,” he lamented.

He also said if his party tried to treat anyone the way PTI lawmakers are being treated these days, he would resist it, adding maltreatment of lawmakers on lame excuses must come to an end.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024