ISLAMABAD: A consultative meeting of the parliamentary parties on National Action Plan (NAP), which was scheduled to be held on Thursday (today), has been cancelled due to refusal of the opposition to attend it, Radio Pakistan reported.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan had dispatched a letter to the heads of parliamentary parties for a consultation on the NAP on March 28 (today).
However, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz(PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman refused to attend the meeting.
The spokesperson for the foreign minister reportedly said that the opposition leaders declined to attend due to their “political engagements”.
Read more: Govt convenes parliamentary parties’ meeting for consultation on NAP
“Under these circumstances, due to the political considerations of opposition parties, the consultation will not be held,” the spokesperson added.
The meeting was to highlight the objectives of National Action, which also includes not allowing the use of our soil for terrorist activities against any other country, the letter read.
It further stated that National Action Plan (NAP) is reflective of national consensus on the issue of terrorism. It said that implementation of the plan is in the long-term interest of Pakistan.
