Political and economic experts here Sunday said that the formation process of political governments in provinces has signified lawmakers’ unshakable commitment to take the country out of existing challenges and address people’s problems at their doorsteps.
“After the February 8 general election, the formation of new governments in provinces started last week that was a good omen for democracy and people of the country,'” said Professor Dr AZ Hilali, former Chairman of, Political Science Department, University of Peshawar while talking to APP on Sunday.
He said the Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Sindh and Punjab Assemblies were elected while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor has summoned the KP Assembly session on February 28 for oath-taking of the newly elected members of the Provincial Assembly.
Under the constitution and law, he said that the process of formation of new governments in federal and provinces would be completed next week.
He said parliamentary democracy provides an inclusive mechanism for the resolution of socioeconomic and political issues through evolving of a broad-based political reconciliation among all the relevant stakeholders to anchor the ship of democracy to the safe shores.
“Democracy provides solutions to all the country’s problems. It is the best governance system practising in the world through which socioeconomic and political conflicts are being addressed through reconciliation and dialogue among all relevant political stakeholders mandated by the people,” Professor Dr AH Hilali said.
In the democratic process, he said the doors of political dialogue among religious and political entities are always open aimed at to take decisions in the national interest and for people’s well-being.” “Political government takes decisions in the country’s interest as it enjoys masses support and removes misunderstanding of opposition on election issues besides works on strengthening of democracy and take the country forward on internal and external fronts,” he said.
Professor Dr Hilali said that unfortunately, our politicians did not learn lessons from our history and again started wrangling by closing the doors of political dialogue after the general election despite the country’s difficult economic situation.
He said that a permanent political divide with no channel of communication and intolerance in society would further retards the political and economic development besides widening the economic gap between influential and underprivileged and that democracy will suffer.
He said if the trend of political intolerance, accusations and blame games among politicians continued after the election, then it would be extremely difficult to bring political and economic stability to the country.
He said the absence of political dialogue among politicians in the past led to the derailment of democracy four times in Pakistan.
He said the government of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was dismissed after the 9 religious and political parties under the platform of Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) launched an agitation movement, claiming rigging in 1977 elections.
Despite strong denial of the rigging allegations by PPP, he said PNA’s agitation movement sparked riots, and unrest and incurred colossal economic losses to the country and subsequently democracy was packed up for the third time on July 5, 1977.
In the 90s, he said the absence of political dialogue had led to the premature dissolution of the elected assemblies and the governments of former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif twice each after being accused of riggings in elections by opponents and its negative outcome came before us in the shape of martial law on October 12, 1999.
He suggested immediate initiation of political dialogue between the upcoming government and opposition on existing difficult economic, election results and political challenges inevitable for the country’s stability and development.
Ikhtair Wali, PMLN KP spokesman said that his party strongly believed in political dialogue. He said the Charter of Democracy signed between former Prime Ministers, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was a great example of political reconciliation that later led to an adoption of the landmark 18th constitutional amendment that returned all powers to the parliament, granted provincial autonomy to the federating units, identity to people of KP after renaming NWFP and abolishment of the draconian 58 2 (B) article from the constitution.
He said PMLN did not believe in the political victimization of opponents and wanted to take all political parties along in the Parliament.
PMLN President Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was nominated as Prime Minister and Maryam Nawaz as Chief Minister of Punjab keeping given their leadership qualities to take all the parties along and address the country’s challenges swiftly.
Accusing PTI of creating political division in society and harming the country’s economy, he said PTI’s announcement to write a letter to the IMF was an attempt to ruin the national economy and keep people backward.
Professor Dr Hilali hoped that the political temperature would decrease after the formation of Government in the centres and provinces, advising political leaders to avoid personal attacks, character assassination, blame games and dragging state institutions into politics rather than focus on people’s welfare programs in their respective mandated provinces.
He said personal attacks and dragging state institutions into politics would develop political polarisation in society besides creating hatred among rival political forces.
He said if Bangladeshi leaders Hasina Wajid and Khalida Zia could sit across the table for the sake of their countrymen, then why did the government and opposition parties in Pakistan can’t sit together to hold a grand dialogue on the socioeconomic and economic issue.
They expressed the hope that the new government and opposition parties would sit together for a grand political reconciliation to swiftly address the country’s problems.
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