Saad Rafique urges Nawaz Sharif to rise to the occasion; play a role in starting a dialogue
PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique. Photo: Express
LAHORE:
PML-N leaders, both inside and outside the corridors of power, have agreed on the need for a new Charter of Democracy to dilute political animosity in the country.
An appeal has also been made to PML-N President Nawaz Sharif to rise to the occasion and play his role in initiating a dialogue process between all stakeholders.
These ideas were expressed at a ceremony held to commemorate the death anniversary of late Khawaja Muhammad Rafique, father of PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique.
Besides Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah and Saad Rafique, and Salman Rafique, speakers included politician Mohsin Dawar, JI leader Liaqat Baloch, former PML-N leader Zaeem Qadri and journalists Hamid Mir and Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami.
Despite the nature of the meeting, most of the speeches revolved around political instability, the need to return to democratic principles and, in general, the PTI.
The most powerful speeches were given by Mohsin Dawar and journalist Hamid Mir; the former questioned the effectiveness of the system governing the federated units under the constitutional scheme, while the latter reminded the audience how Khawaja Muhammad Rafique had bravely fought against the then Field Marshal Ayub Khan for democracy.
Azam Nazir Tarar said it was urgent to find a way out of this quicksand of political extremism through dialogue. He said a national dialogue was the need of the hour to achieve political and financial stability in the country, adding that without political stability, no country could progress.
He said Pakistan needed a political charter and stressed the importance of leaving behind a better Pakistan for future generations. In what might seem ironic, he said the way forward was to accept criticism with courage and patience.
Tarar left just a few seconds before Mohsin Dawar began his speech as he had to attend a nikah ceremony.
Dawar said fascism had not come to an end after partition. He said that the struggle of Khawaja Muhammad Rafique was identical to the struggle of today’s politicians, who were fighting for democratic principles.
“We are free only on paper,” he said, adding that democracy standard-bearer Ali Wazir and human rights activist Mahrang Baloch, who raised the issue of enforced disappearances, were behind bars.
He said they were charged with sedition simply for reminding the government that using the Taliban as proxies in Afghanistan would prove to be a counterproductive policy, which continues to haunt Pakistan to this day.
He said smaller federating units were finding it increasingly difficult to function under the existing constitutional scheme, questioning whether democracy really existed within that system.
He also demanded that the Senate be more functional and powerful, along the lines of the National Assembly, and stated that its electoral results were modified through Form 47.
Rana Sanaullah said infighting and chaos was impeding growth, but argued that people should openly acknowledge who was avoiding dialogue.
Defending the government, he said that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government had repeatedly approached the opposition with various offers, but each time they were rejected by the PTI as its founder did not want stability in the country.
He said that after the no-confidence motion, the PML-N twice wanted to move towards early elections, but both times Imran Khan reneged on his commitments, forcing the PML-N government to modify its plans.
He said Imran Khan himself hit a dead end on May 9 and wondered if there was any justification for what happened.
He said that it was this chaos that Imran Khan wanted to create in Pakistan and therefore certain limitations were imposed on meetings with him.
He said political forces are currently on a collision course, which will only make the situation even worse.
Responding to allegations regarding the February 8, 2024 elections, raised even during the event by the PML-N leaders themselves, he questioned whether the July 25, 2018 elections were fair when, he said, the PML-N’s mandate had been stolen.
Rana Sanaullah said that opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, despite expressing disappointment over the alleged electoral fraud, had saluted the government and offered an Economy Charter to the Imran Khan-led government, and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had shown a similar spirit.
“What Imran Khan did next is a matter of record,” he added.
He also rejected claims that the prime minister did not have permission to engage in dialogue and said that all offers made by the government were made in the presence of relevant stakeholders, implying that the military establishment was not preventing any potential talks.
Khawaja Saad Rafique urged PML-N President Nawaz Sharif to rise to the occasion and play his role in initiating a dialogue process between all stakeholders.
