Politics of reconciliation vital for political harmony, economic growth
PESHAWAR ( APP): Known as the best governance system in the world, democracy provides an inclusive mechanism for resolution of socioeconomic and political issues through evolving broad based political reconciliation among all the stakeholders vital for political harmony and sustainable economic growth.
“Democracy is the best form of Govt, which are providing solutions to all problems. It is the best governance system being practiced in the world through which political, social and economic issues are addressed through reconciliation and dialogue among political stakeholders,” Professor Dr AH Hilali, former Chairman of Political Science Department, University of Peshawar while talking to APP on Friday.
In democratic setup, he said that all problems are being raised at Parliament, and addressed there instead of protesting in streets and roads. “In democratic process, the doors to political dialogue among religious and political entities are always open to take decisions in national interest and for people’s wellbeing,” he said.
“Political dialogue removes misunderstanding among political players, and strengthens democracy besides ensuring smooth functions of state institutions, ” he said.
He said that a permanent political divide with no channel of communication, and intolerance in society retards the political and economic development besides widening business and economic gap between influential and underprivileged class.
He said if the trend of political intolerance, accusations and blame games among politicians continued, then it would be extremely difficult to bring political and economic stability to the country.
Professor Hilali said unfortunately our politicians did not learn lessons from our grim political history and again started wrangling by closing the doors of political dialogue despite economic and security challenges. He said an absence of political dialogues among politicians in the past had led to derailment of democracy four times in Pakistan.
He said that 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) had launched an agitation movement, claiming rigging in 1977 elections.
In-spite of strong denial of the rigging allegations by PPP, he said PNA’s agitation movement sparked riots and unrest, incurring colossal economic losses to the country and subsequently democracy was packed up for the third time on July 5, 1977.
The absence of political dialogue had caused premature dissolution of the elected assemblies and the governments of former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif twice each in 90s after they were accused of rigging in elections by opponents and its negative outcome came before us in the shape of martial law on October 12, 1999.
Dr Hilali welcomed the recent informal political engagements between the Govt and opposition leaders and expressed the hope that all issues would be resolved under a democratic framework.
He said that dialogue which started with pre-conditions has never become productive and expressed the hope that PTI leadership would withdraw its civil disobedience call before meaningful talks.
He said the lack of trust apparently existed among political stakeholders for launching constructive dialogue to address the existing challenges. He said that acceptance of political mandate was a guarantee for political stability and to take the ship of democracy to safe shores.
Ikhtair Wali, PML-N KP spokesman and former member provincial assembly said that his party strongly believed in political dialogue. He claimed that we wanted dialogue with an open heart but PTI tries to hold it under a hanging of a sword.
He said 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 adaptation of the landmark 18th constitutional amendment that returned all powers back to the parliament, granted provincial autonomy to the federating units, identity to people of KP after renaming NWFP as Khyber Pakthunkhwa and abolishment of the draconian 58 2 (B) article from the constitution. He said that PTI has now realized the importance of political dialogue after its Nov 26 agitation completely failed. He said that disobedience calls of PTI would face the same fate as of Nov 26 agitation.
Ikhtair Wali said that PMLN did not believe in political victimization of opponents and law would take its own course in PTI founder case. However, he said that mocking national institutions and officials of national institutions as well as their family members were highly deplorable.
Accusing PTI for creating political division in society and affecting the country’s economy, he said that PTI continued accusations against the Govt was an attempt to get relief for its founder, who was jailed in corruption cases.
Despite political stubbornness and allegations of PTI founder, he said the coalition government had offered several times to PTI’s former lawmakers to use parliament for talks but they made a mockery of the sincere offer of the PMLN leadership.
He said the billion trees afforestration project was taken over by the NAB KP while BRT was completed on very high cost compared to Islamabad and Multan metros, thus wasting huge taxpayers money by PTI that also left the country’s into the brink of economic collapse before PDM Govt took over. He said the non completion of Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium was tantamount of depriving youth of sports.
Ikhtair claimed that PTI had deceived people on the hollow slogan of accountability and change as the PTI former government in KP itself closed its own Ehtishab Commission at Peshawar besides the province was put under huge loans burden.
The PMLN leader said that PTI has shattered the confidence of voters after prematurely dissolution of two provincial assemblies in the past after successful no confidence motion against PTI founder and had lost footings in KP after Nov 26 aimless agitation call.
He said that personal attacks and dragging state institutions into politics by PTI would develop political polarisation in society besides creating hatred feelings among rival political forces.
He said traffic jam in Peshawar City has made lives of Peshawarties miserable due to wrong planning in BRT’s corridor and not a single hospital was completed in Peshawar by the PTI in its longest 10 years rule, exerting extra burden of patients in Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex at Peshawar.
