The major political parties on Tuesday termed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's televised address to the nation "visionless" and "disappointing" with no clear-cut policy against terrorists and timeline for implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) in letter and spirit.
Talking to Business Recorder, leaders of different political parties said that they were expecting a strong policy guideline from the Prime Minister against the terrorists and a concrete strategy to ensure a 100 percent implementation on NAP across the country, which the Prime Minister completely ignored in his address. It was expected that the Prime Minister would share progress on the NAP; however the speech presented the helplessness of the government. It was the consensus.
Aitzaz Ahsan, leader of the opposition in Senate of Pakistan, talking to Business Recorder criticised the Prime Minister for his speech, saying that his speech only added to confusion instead of giving people hope as was required. "PM's speech was disappointing and there was no purpose for making such a speech," said Ahsan, adding that PM should spell out a concrete plan of action, identify the objectives and timeline of such a plan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Shafqat Mehmood, while commenting on the PM address, said it was "a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing." He said that there was nothing new in the PM's speech and was visionless. Senator Hafiz Hamdullah of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) said that the PM was expressing his helplessness in his address. "A country cannot be run with prayers only," he said, adding the PM should come up with the missing links in implementation of the NAP, which is resulting in repeated terrorist attacks in the country.
"Events show that the two Sharifs (Prime Minster and Army Chief) are not on the same page and this was made clear after the army started a crackdown in Punjab," he said. Secretary information Awami National Party (ANP) Zahid Khan termed the PM's speech to the nation disappointing and added that a clear stance should have been presented before the nation with respect to implementation of the NAP after a terrorist attack in Lahore, siege of federal capital by protesters and attacks on media in Karachi.
He said the Lahore incident which claimed more than 70 lives was the result of failure to implement the NAP in letter and spirit. A sit-in on Constitutional Avenue is also part of this and added that it is evident from the PM's speech that the government is helpless before terrorists and protesters. The Prime Minister should order action against the hideouts and facilitators of terrorists across the country, he added.