Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have expressed indirect concerns over Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, a day after its approval by the prime minister.
Both the opposition parties called for taking the parliament into confidence before the launch any counter-terror offensive at national level.
The demand came during a media talk by the PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser and Omar Ayub outside the parliament and during a separate meeting between JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asad Qaiser, the former speaker of the National Assembly (NA).
The central apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) approved the operation Azm-e-Istehkam on Saturday.
The operation would be a third comprehensive offensive against militancy and extremism at national level after the launch of Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fassad under previous military leadership.
The apex committee of the NAP met under the chair of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar, chief of army staff General Asim Munir, federal ministers, chief ministers of all the provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan and representatives from Azad Kashif attended. They discussed the operation parameters and made the final approval.
Barrister Gohar said the apex committee lacks mandate to give final verdict on key and sensitive matters without the say of the parliament. As the national assembly was in session, the PTI leader said the speaker of the NA barred the opposition from speaking on the operation. They, therefore, held walk out from the assembly and spoke to media to clear their stance on Azm-e-Istehkam.
Meanwhile, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asad Qaiser expressed concern over the rise of militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Our believe is that a military operation is not solution to issue. All political parties must play their role for peace in the province [Kp],” said the former speaker of the NA, Asad Qaiser, on X. Both the leaders rejected the budget, calling it anti-people. They also demanded establishment of economic corridors between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
