Islamabad:Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari has said that national security was the country’s top priority and could not be compromised.
In a statement, he said negotiations were not possible with those speaking the language of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
However, he said the doors for dialogue remained open if the language of terrorism was abandoned.
Referring to the ongoing political dialogue, Nayyer Bukhari said a PTI-backed negotiating team had met the National Assembly Speaker despite having no authority to do so. He said the team had also been rejected by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister.
He said the ongoing politics of chaos, turmoil and division was causing losses to the country and its people.
Nayyer Bukhari said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rejected what he called ‘destructive politics’.
He questioned the purpose of the long march and asked why public issues, inflation and unemployment were missing from its agenda.
He said that despite claims that four million people would participate, the organisers could not gather even 40,000 people.
Nayyer Bukhari said terrorism was at its peak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the provincial government’s priority was the release and treatment of a political leader.
He said the chief minister and provincial ministers appeared detached from government affairs, while citizens were losing their lives in terrorist attacks.
Nayyer said the focus should be on restoring peace instead of pursuing personal interests.
Referring to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Nayyer Bukhari said he had repeatedly raised the issue of the alleged denial of the JUI-F’s mandate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He pointed out that the opposition leader in the province belonged to the JUI-F.
Nayyer Bukhari said Maulana Fazlur Rehman maintained respectful relations with President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.