National consensus must for success of Operation ‘Azm-e-Istehkaam’: PAT

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, the Secretary General of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, has stated that political parties should be dealt with through political processes. Past bans on political leaders and parties have resulted in increased unrest. The idea of banning Tehreek-e-Insaf should be reconsidered. He said such a ban will lead to increased instability, making it difficult for a weak government to manage affairs. There is also a lack of consensus within the ruling ranks regarding this decision. Intellectual circles are also expressing concern, he added.

The PAT Secretary General mentioned that anti-state elements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan are posing a significant challenge, with Pakistani military officers sacrificing their lives daily. He said terrorists have imposed an undeclared war, and the government needs to create national consensus to crush this menace.

“All parties should unite, forming a solid front behind the armed forces. When Operation Zarb-e-Azb began, all political forces set aside their differences and joined hands, formulating the National Action Plan to combat terrorism, leading to the operation's success. For the success of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, all political forces need to come together,” he suggested.

The PAT leader added that at a time when our armed forces are engaged in a dangerous war against terrorism, opening a new door to political instability by the government is equivalent to increasing threats to national security.

He said Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri also advised that mistakes were made by all, and therefore, everyone should forgive each other and come together for the sake of the country and its people. He said history shows that whenever the majority party was forcibly turned into a minority, the state weakened. He said this experiment happened in 1970 and has been repeated multiple times since, resulting in the country being entangled in issues like water, electricity, gas, flour, bread, and sugar instead of progressing.

He noted that in this severe economic crisis, the last support for Pakistan is the overseas Pakistanis. The country's minimal standing is due to remittances. Instead of encouraging overseas Pakistanis, they are being threatened with passport seizures, identity card blocks, citizenship cancellations, and arrests of their relatives.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur warned that this action itself is a threat to national security. He urged the rulers to come to their senses and not dig further holes for themselves. No matter who is in power, their tenure is temporary, and eventually, everyone has to answer for their actions.