CHAIRMAN Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had made a pitch for dialogue and reconciliation by categorically ruling out the possibility of fresh elections ‘any time soon’ and urging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to renounce political extremism and rejoin democratic politics, warning that attacks on state institutions over the arrest of leaders would invite consequences.
The PPP Chairman called for playing an “innings of political reconciliation” in the country, cautioning that those who attack state institutions under the guise of politics would have to face the law of the land. He said long-term political stability could only be achieved through dialogue and reconciliation rather than confrontation.
As one of the major stakeholders in the present set-up, the PPP’s position on dialogue, fresh elections and political reconciliation assumes greater significance and signals unanimity of views on these issues within the ruling coalition. This becomes clear if seen in the backdrop of a statement made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a few days back reiterating that the government is open to a dialogue on political and institutional reforms, provided the discussions are based on legitimate, constitutional demands and do not involve “blackmailing” or preconditions from the opposition. He clarified that negotiations must focus on national issues and strengthening parliamentary institutions, while ruling out any talks related to the legitimacy of the February 8, 2024 general elections or demands for the government to step down. The remarks of the Prime Minister as well as those of the PPP leader convey a clear message to the opposition PTI that there can be no dialogue on the possibility of fresh elections before expiry of the constitutional five-year term of the incumbent government. The government maintains any grievance against elections will continue to be addressed strictly through election tribunals and courts, whose verdicts would be accepted even if they go entirely against the ruling parties. The statement of Bilawal brings more clarity to the stand of the ruling alliance as he declared that comprehensive electoral reforms were essential before fresh elections. This is, in fact, the need of the hour as those defeated in general elections always raise hue and cry attributing their defeat to manipulation of polls. There is a tendency not to accept the mandate of others and start leg pulling of the new government from the very beginning, perpetuating the vicious cycle of instability and political tension, depriving the country the benefits of economic initiatives and programmes that every government intended to implement for the welfare of the people. We have been emphasizing, time and again, in these columns that instead of making every general election controversial, all parties must hold a comprehensive and sustained dialogue on different aspects of the electoral process and come out with a fail-proof mechanism to ensure sanctity of the polls. Bilawal’s plea to play an innings of political reconciliation deserves to be taken seriously by all political players. He has rightly pointed out that the PPP’s policy of reconciliation was rooted in the philosophy of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and that President Asif Ali Zardari had practically demonstrated this approach through landmark achievements such as the 18th Constitutional Amendment, NFC Award and the completion of a full democratic term. As the President is a symbol of the federation and national unity, we hope he will make practical moves to lower political tension so that both the federal as well as provincial governments get an opportunity to focus on their economic and welfare agendas before the next elections. It is high time the PTI reviews its strategy and comes out with an unambiguous position on the issue of dialogue and reconciliation for its own interest and that of the country. Experience shows the latest stance that the party will not engage in talks with the Government without first taking to streets to demonstrate its muscles might not help.
