Daily Times

LAHORE: Renowned legal expert SM Zafar has said that Senate and the National Assembly elections should be held on time as it is a right of the people.

He was addressing a seminar organised by the Press Institute of National Affairs (PINA) on Sunday.

The masses did not want confrontation among institutions, he said and added that the current political situation could be ended by following the way of truth.

Addressing the session, PINA Secretary General Altaf Hassan Qureshi said that the seminar had been organised for getting positive suggestions to steer the country out of the present situation.

He said that a balanced cooperation among institutions was missing and there was a lack of mutual respect among the institution. “Situation on the side of some institutions is provocative and culture of understanding and respect is absent,” he added.

Qureshi suggested establishment of a national council, which could play its role in such situation to overcome the issues. He said that a group of impartial journalists should be formed, which might visit heads of national institutions to end the current political tension. “Dialogue at national level is very important”, he added.

He said political parties should not take up their issues in the courts as it damaged political situation. Other speakers said that creative thinking and awareness among the masses was the need of the hour.

They said that every institution should work within the given constitutional limits. They added that parliament had failed in playing its role, which was the fundamental requirement of the current situation as parliament was the place where issues should be resolved.

Speakers suggested that Senate election should also be held through direct polling. They urged authorities concerned to restore the Council of Common Interest and said that cabinet forum should be utilised to decide issues.

Professor Shabbir Anwar, Rauf Tahir, M Mehdi, Javaid Nawaz, Rehmat Ali Mujahid, Professor Dr Rasheed Ahmad and Sajjad Mir addressed the seminar.

Published in Daily Times, February  26^th 2018.