The News An open letter to Nawaz Sharif Tuesday, August 19, 2014 From Print Edition “All my political life spanning almost two (2) decades, I have opposed you and the kind of politics that you practice. But as a Pakistani and an ordinary citizen, I feel I have the right to demand responsible politics rising above settling scores with a ‘cornered’ political opponent. “You are very well aware about the present political turmoil and the potential consequences to you and the rest of the nation if the deadlock is not resolved peacefully and through a political and constitutional process. The last few weeks must have been stressful for you contemplating who is behind the political onslaught against your government and how far do they plan to go; an unfortunate reality that cannot be wished away except by performing and delivering to the people so that they can own a democratic system that delivers. “If you have mentally prepared yourself to clobber a cornered political opponent through attrition and, in case he breaks out, blame the blood on the streets on your opponent, or worse still, allow the situation to deteriorate to the point where the entire political system is unraveled hoping to become a political ‘Shaheed’ leaving a political legacy for your children to politically encash, you would only be judged by history as a stubborn politician who refused to grow into a statesman despite acquiring the demeanor. “If, however, you reach out to a political opponent - the dharna site is not far from your office - the nation would never look upon the gesture as a sign of weakness, but a statement of your elevation from a politician to a national statesman. “Knowing your political opponent as much as I know my real brother, I have no doubt that he would agree to a win-win package. The package is simple. The mandate of the Supreme Court Judicial Commission that you have already agreed to set up should be so designed that it should ensure a final judgment on the transparency of the entire 2013 electoral process and whether or not the majority was turned into a minority. If, in case, the Supreme Court Judicial Commission establishes that the elections were rigged to the extent that those not mandated by the people are ruling them, it would be incumbent on the Prime Minister and the four Chief Ministers to resign and dissolve assemblies leading to a caretaker setup and fresh elections under a package of electoral reforms already approved by Parliament in anticipation of the verdict of the Supreme Court Judicial Commission report. To bring political consensus, an All Parties Conference can be convened to ratify the political arrangement with your political opponent. “May Allah give you the strength, energy and, above all, the wisdom to rise above settling political scores and guide you in the direction of a peaceful and constitutional resolution to the present political crisis”. Akbar S. Babar Founding member PTI
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 03:20:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015