PTI to attend govt’s APC despite concerns over Operation Azm-e-Istehkam: Imran Khan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan said on Friday that his party will participate in the government’s all-parties conference (APC) despite concerns over Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, Aaj News reported.

Imran made these remarks during an informal interaction with the media during his appearance in a case at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

With terrorism on the rise, the government last month, announced to launch an intelligence-based operations-focused national counter-terrorism drive.

However, Imran criticised the government’s move, saying the new anti-terrorism campaign would “only lead to further instability” in the country.

His remarks come hours after Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced that the government was consulting allies and other parties to convene an APC on the matter.

Earlier, Aaj News had reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided to call an all-parties conference to address the opposition parties’ concerns over anti-terrorism operation.

As per the report, the government had started consultation to decide on the date of the APC.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Tarar further said the Prime Minister had ardently pleaded the case of innocent Palestinians at the SCO Summit in Astana.

“The Prime Minister vehemently fought the case of Palestine and demanded that Israel should be held accountable for the genocide of innocent Palestinians as two million of them were displaced,” he added.

Pakistan, he said had a clear stance that free Palestine should be accepted from Pre-1967 its boundaries with Al Quds as its capital and a ceasefire should be made as there was no other remedy to it.

Tarar further said the premier has instructed to include the non-filers, who can pay tax, in the tax net. He said digitization of FBR is continuing with the cooperation of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, without spending a single penny from the government exchequer.