Daily Times

Sir: At present we are facing a deficit of trust and confidence in our politics. The political scene is marred by the speeches of politicians from both sides. As a result, the volatility has not been defused. The talks facilitated by the political jirga have stalled. The conflict cannot be resolved in this fashion. The political crisis is growing and, after the announcement made by Imran Khan of a countrywide shutdown, the threat of civil war is looming larger than ever. It seems we are sailing into uncharted territory. Political forces are divided into different camps on the basis of their vested interests. Some senior politicians have thrown their weight on one side, while some others have joined hands with the forces of ‘change’ and ‘revolution’. They have different ideas about solving the problems of the people. Protests, rallies and sit-ins are continuously being staged by the PTI to press its demands. The government seems to be in a precarious situation but is still in denial. It is trying to show misplaced strength in parliament. Parliamentary leaders are supporting the government for saving democracy and the Constitution.

At first, all the demands revolved around the pivotal point of the prime minister’s resignation. That seemed to be the bone of contention between the parties. However, the scenario is very different now. Imran Khan has backtracked on his resignation demand and, this time, only wants an investigation commission that will probe into alleged rigging in last year’s general elections. The government must take a step back to reconcile the facts. The legality of this demand is clear and convincing. The futility of talks is quite apparent from their current and previous modus operandi. No constructive arguments were offered in the previous sittings. I am not hopeful about the success of these talks this time as well. I do not see any resolution of this conflict. But I will suggest that both the parties kindly figure out a way through dialogue. It is strange that both the PML-N and the PTI were willing to negotiate with the Taliban but are unable to negotiate amongst themselves.
JAVAID BASHIR
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