PTI calls for APC on terrorism in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja Thursday described the Jaffar Express attack as a national tragedy and insisted that “distances between the people needed to be bridged and real voice of Pakistan be listened to”.

“It is important to understand the current situation facing the country and this is the time to listen to the real voice of Pakistan, especially Balochistan. Instead of eliminating any party, the path of unity should be adopted,” he said in a statement.

He said, “We stand with the entire nation in this difficult time and the founder of PTI himself is also in grief over the loss of precious lives. This is not an opportunity for politics but to share grief and we pray for the martyrs”. Salman Akram said that some PTI-affiliated social media accounts made immoral tweets. However, he added, the PTI cannot control millions of accounts and some people tweet under the guise of PTI.

He contended that peace cannot be established in the country until the supremacy of the Constitution is ensured. He complained that Omar Ayub was not given a chance to speak on this important issue, although politics is a path between the people and the state.

“We have to think about the future of the country’s youth and the nation has the right to understand the seriousness of the situation,” he said. Regarding Balochistan, he said that democracy must be strengthened there so that the problems of the people can be solved.

Separately, Leader of Opposition in the Senate and senior PTI leader Senator Shibli Faraz has demanded an all-party conference (APC) on the issue of terrorism in Balochistan. He said that the founder of PTI should also be released on parole and invited to the proposed APC.

He said the defence minister should resign instead of hiding his incompetence, adding that the issue of terrorism in the country was beyond politics. The PTI leader said that only the party that has the people behind it can control things and claimed his party founder Imran Khan can play a role in bringing everyone together.

Shibli Faraz said that his party is ready to give full political support on the issue of terrorism, if the problem is to be solved, Imran Khan will have to be released on parole.

Speaking about social media, he said that social media is not in anyone’s hands. “I have said before that whoever has a mobile camera has become a journalist. There are positive things on social media as well as negative things, even by passing the Peca law and shutting down the internet, negative things on social media could not be stopped,” he noted.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders who arrived at Adiala jail, were denied permission to meet PTI’s imprisoned founder, forcing them to submit a formal request to the jail superintendent. They condemned the Jaffar Express attack, called for the defence minister’s resignation, and urged the government to engage the opposition parties in political dialogue.

Speaking outside the jail, Shibli Faraz, alongside Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, said: “Our entire party condemns the Jaffar Express incident. Instead of addressing its failures, the government is blaming PTI’s social media for the situation. Pakistan’s issues require political solutions.” Allama Nasir Abbas stressed the need for political inclusivity and said if the government wants to counter enemy narratives, it must reveal the truth to the public and that all political leaders in jail should be released.