AT a time when political tension is rising with the passage of every day, a senior leader of PML(N) Rana Sanaullah has floated a saner proposal of mediation between the Government and the Opposition to end the confrontation. The idea needs to be welcomed and someone influential should take a lead for national reconciliation as none of the warring sides would benefit from their existing policy of raising the ante.
The confrontation is assuming dangerous dimensions as is visible from the language being used by both sides at public meetings and television programmes as well as what one witnessed during noisy session of the National Assembly, which was otherwise considering an issue on which there were no two opinions in the country – condemnation of French President Macron for his sacrilegious remarks and actions. Rana Sanaullah, whose views matter in the party circles, while speaking in a television show, proposed that those having a say in this regard should mull over how to end the confrontation between the two sides. He said that judiciary can play its role in this regard, adding that media along with parliament and judiciary can also play its role in the dialogue. In a positive gesture, Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who is considered to be a hardliner, supported the suggestion of Rana Sanaullah and said the Government and the Opposition should not cross limits, adding that a Parliamentary Committee, Judiciary or any appropriate institution can hold dialogue. In a related development, another member of the Federal Cabinet Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has ruled out the possibility of any dialogue with PML(N) saying the narrative of Nawaz and Maryam was unacceptable. He also stated that dialogue with PPP, JUI(F) and other opposition parties was possible but his remarks are apparently aimed at dividing the opposition. Though in view of the positions adopted by the two sides and because of steep polarization, it would be a challenging job to mediate but it is not altogether impossible provided there is sincerity and honesty of purpose. In ideal circumstances, the mediation should be done by some veteran political personality or seasoned parliamentarians but all of them have apparently partisan approach at the moment and in this backdrop Fawad Chaudhry has justifiably proposed that the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) can supervise the dialogue. Leadership of the two platforms ought to take an early initiative in this regard.
