RAWALPINDI: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan on Thursday said that talks with PTI are welcome and for the stability of the country it is necessary that all political forces start the process of negotiations because the country can’t afford confrontation.

He said this while holding a press conference along with Murree Action Committee officials at the Governor’s Annexe Rawalpindi. He said PML-N and PPP were ideologically two separate parties but now they were in an alliance and it was based on national interest.

He said the patronage of President Asif Ali Zardari was indispensable to make the negotiation process successful with anyone, including PTI, because he is the king of negotiations and this system is running successfully due to the wisdom of President Zardari.

He said that the problems of the residents of Murree will be conveyed to the Chief Minister, adding the demands of the Murree Action Committee needed her attention.He said instead of listening to the people of Murree, FIRs had been filed which was not acceptable in any case.

He said that roads in Murree should be widened but do not throw out those who have been there for a hundred years. He condemned the registration of cases against the Grand Jirga in Murree.

“The FIR of terrorism should be dismissed. I and the Pakistan People’s Party condemn eviction of people in the name of beautifying Murree. It seems that people of Murree have not been listened to. The cases against the people of Murree should be dismissed immediately,” he said.

The members of the Action Committee said that problems of Murree were not new and they were trying to bring them in the notice of the government. They said false FIRs were filed and buildings were demolished.

They said that residents of Murree paid their taxes. People joined hands to get their rights. They said that Punjab government should give back the land taken from the residents of Murree. They said the development plan addressed a limited area while people were facing water shortage in the district.

As many as 800 houses are being demolished in the name of encroachment while people had been living in the area before the creation of Pakistan. They said that the people submitted 436 maps for approval but not a single map was approved and the houses were demolished in the meantime.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024