Daily Times

Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday agreed to engage in delegation-level dialogues with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in bid to find a way out of political imbroglio. Representatives from the PPP including Yousaf Raza Gilani, Naveed Qamar, and Qamar Zaman Kaira, and from PML-N including Rana Sanaullah, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and Khawaja Saad Rafique attended a crucial meeting between the two parties’ leaders. Talking to media after meeting, Gilani expressed concern over the current state of the country, noting the widespread sense of despair among the people. He stressed the need for peaceful coexistence between the judiciary and the parliament, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. He said dialogue among all the political parties would be better for the supremacy of the Constitution and democracy. He said Asif Ali Zardari in his address at the National Assembly said, “We are for dialogue and political parties never shy away from dialogue as politicians make bridges and do not wage wars.”

He said their delegation met with the PML-N leaders that included Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, former NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafique who attended the meeting via video link. He said they presented their point of view that there was a huge depression in the country, which had badly affected the masses. At the time, the clash of institutions should not have occurred as it was not favourable for the country. Gillani recalled Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had bitter relations, but despite that, they both signed the Charter of Democracy (COD) in the larger national interest.

The two political forces under the COD made the constitutional amendment and then President Asif Ali Zardari under that legislation delegated all his powers to the Parliament, he added. “We, all the political parties, worked for the supremacy of the Parliament. All parties unitedly made the constitutional amendment and established a parliamentary form of government after the formation of the government. “After the COD, the PPP and the PML-N have never any conflict on the transfer of power,” he added.

Gillani underlined that after completing its last government term, the PPP smoothly performed the process of transfer of power. During the meeting, he said, the PML-N reiterated that they would make all-out efforts for the betterment of Pakistan, the supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law, democracy and the interest of the people. “We don’t want to end the path of dialogue. We are so far approaching our coalition partners and after consensus, we will proceed to other political parties,” he ended. Replying to media queries, he said the Constitution emphasized trichotomy of power and if all institutions exercised powers within their constitutional limits then there would be no conflict.