Chaman (Syed Sardar Muhammad Khondai) –
An All Parties Conference (APC) / Qaumi Jirga was held at Shuhada House, Murda Kariz, Chaman, under the auspices of the Awami National Party (ANP), chaired by ANP Provincial President Asghar Khan Achakzai.
The conference was attended by leaders and delegations from ANP, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party, National Democratic Movement, Jamaat-e-Islami, National Party, Pakistan Peoples Party, Mazloom Awami Party, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, trade organizations, Bar Council, civil society, and tribal elders.
Key Points of the Joint Declaration
The APC strongly condemned the worsening law and order situation in Chaman, including bomb blasts and target killings. Referring to the recent blast near the Durand Line, it declared it a continuation of decades-long oppressive policies and demanded that the culprits be arrested and punished as an example.
It condemned the insulting and inhumane treatment of Afghan refugees and demanded protection of their dignity in line with UN conventions.
The conference rejected the requirement of passports under the Single Document Regime for cross-border movement at the Durand Line, demanding continuation of travel and trade on the basis of national ID cards and Afghan Tazkira.
The APC declared that artificially imposed terrorism is a pretext for looting resources and stressed the need to abandon the war economy in favor of a welfare state.
It condemned land grabbing under the guise of allotment of ancestral tribal lands and demanded their return to rightful owners.
Expressing concern over insecurity on the Chaman–Quetta national highway, the conference demanded immediate measures to ensure public safety against armed groups and extortion mafias.
The attempt to merge Levies Force into the police and convert “B areas” into “A areas” was unanimously rejected, with calls to modernize and equip the Levies Force instead.
The APC expressed deep concern over recent tragic incidents: the killing of 26 Pashtuns in Khyber due to jet bombings, the September 2 suicide attack in Quetta that killed 16 people, and the September 18 blast in Chaman that claimed 6 laborers’ lives. It demanded compensation for the families of all martyrs.
The conference reaffirmed its commitment to consult other political parties in the district and soon announce a unified plan of action.
