APC on terrorism postponed once again

• PM to leave for Ankara tomorrow to condole with Turkish president, says Marriyum.
• New date for APC to be announced after consultations: Marriyum.
• APC postponed to ensure everyone's participation, says Sanaullah.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced on Tuesday that the all-parties conference (APC) summoned by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been postponed as the premier will be travelling to Turkey to condole with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the devastating earthquake that hit the country. 

Turkey and Syria have witnessed a devastating earthquake of a magnitude of 7.8 which claimed more than 4,300 lives and injured innumerable people.

Taking to Twitter, the minister wrote: "Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Ankara tomorrow morning, he will express his condolences to the Turkish president and to the people of Turkey over the destruction caused by the earthquake and the loss of life."

Marriyum said that the APC has been called off due to the PM's visit to Turkey, adding that a new date for the moot will be announced after consultations with the government's allies.

This is the second time that the APC, called following the Peshawar mosque attack, has been postponed by the government. 

Initially, the APC was scheduled to take place on February 7. However, the date was changed to February 9.

Terrorism a matter of national urgency: Sanaullah

Earlier, talking about the change in the date of the APC, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the government had decided to hold the multi-party conference on February 9 to allow all parties to participate in the moot.

Speaking during Geo News programme "Geo Pakistan", Sanaullah stated that terrorism was "a matter of national urgency for which all parties should carve out a solution".

"After general consensus in the APC, the government will take action against the menace of terrorism," said the minister. 

The minister, while castigating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan over his new movement initiated to give the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government a tough time, said that Khan's 'jail bharo tehreek' (fill the prison movement) would fail like his past movements. 

Sanaullah also referred to the hardships which are faced during incarceration and stated that the PTI chairman does not know how much it is difficult to stay in a prison cell. 

"The only aim of Imran Khan is to create chaos in the country and he will eventually fail," Sanaullah added.