Peshawar:Political tolerance and respecting electoral mandates by the Govt and opposition parties are widely considered the key elements for the socio-economic development, constitutional supremacy and thriving of democracy in the country.
“Political dialogue removes misunderstanding among political players, and strengthens democracy besides ensuring smooth functions of the state institutions, ” said Professor Dr A.H. Hilali, former Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Peshawar while talking to reporter.
“Political tolerance is like an oxygen for democracy and without it, a democratic system can’t flourish,” said Dr Hilali.
He said that a permanent political divide with no channel of communication, and intolerance in society retards the political and economic development besides widening the business and economic gap between the 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.
Recognized as the best governance system in the world, democracy provides an inclusive mechanism for the 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 government, which provides solutions to all problems. It is the best governance system being practised in the world through which political, social and economic issues are addressed through reconciliation and dialogue among political stakeholders,’ Professor Dr AH Hilali said.
In a democratic setup, he said that all problems are being raised at Parliament, and addressed there instead of protesting in streets and roads. ‘In the democratic process, the doors to political dialogue among religious and political entities are always open to take decisions in the national interest and for people’s wellbeing
,’ he said.
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 the derailment of democracy four times in Pakistan.
He said the government of former 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 the 1977 elections.
In spite of the 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 the premature dissolution of the elected assemblies and the governments of former Prime Ministers Be
nazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif twice each in the 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.
The lack of trust apparently existed among political stakeholders for launching constructive dialogue to address the existing challenges. He said that acceptance of a 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 d
ialogue with an open heart but PTI tried to hold it under a hanging of a sword.
He said the Charter of Democracy (CoD) 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 Pakhtunkhwa 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 the disobedience calls of PTI would face the same fate as of Nov 26 agitation.
Ikhtair Wali said that PMLN did not believe in the political victimization of opponents and law would take its own course in the PTI founder case. However, he said that mocking national institutions and officials of national institution
s as well as their family members were highly deplorable.
Accusing PTI of 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 a billion trees afforestation project was taken over by the NAB KP while BRT was completed at a very high cost compared to Islamabad and Multan metros, thus wasting huge taxpayers’ money by PTI that also left the country on the brink of economic collapse before PDM Govt took over. He said the non-completion of Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium was tantamount to depriving youth of sports.
Ikhtair claimed that PTI had deceived people with the hollow slogan of accountability and chan
ge as the PTI former government in KP itself closed its own Ehtishab Commission at Peshawar besides the province was put under a huge loan burden.
The PMLN leader said that PTI has shattered the confidence of voters after the premature dissolution of two provincial assemblies in the past after a successful no-confidence motion against the PTI founder and had lost footings in KP after November 26 aimless agitation.
He said personal attacks and dragging state institutions into politics by PTI would develop political polarisation in society besides creating hatred feelings among rival political forces.
Traffic jams in Peshawar City have made the 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, he maintained.
The experts said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have given
the mandate to PTI for the resolution of their problems rather than agitation.
They expressed the hope that PTI leadership would utilise their energies positively for the progress and prosperity of the people of KP and address all problems through democratic channels which was the only way forward.