WE are all relieved that Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march ended without any untoward incident either in Islamabad or on the way to or back from Islamabad.

What is even better is that he managed to achieve the main objectives and, hopefully, a better crop of parliamentarians will emerge after the forthcoming elections.

We must give credit to Dr Qadri for securing an agreement signed by the prime minister, which promises adequate powers and time for the Election Commission to stop undesirable elements from sneaking into the parliament again, and ensures dissolution of the assemblies before the end of their tenure, thus ruling out their extension for another year or so, while talks for further electoral reforms will continue.

These are spectacular achievements for a person who has been away from Pakistan for some years.

Dr Qadri has done the difficult task of securing the agreement.

Now, I am sure, his followers and other political parties like the Muttahidda Quami Movement, Pakistan Tehrik-Insaaf and others will complete the relatively simpler task of ensuring that the agreement is implemented in full, thus giving us a capable team of parliamentarians who will run the government solely for the benefit of the country and the people.

S.R.H. HASHMI Karachi