ISLAMABAD: Former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari continued his consultations with political forces for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. He called PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq from London and told them that democracy should not be derailed by movements.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also telephoned Mr Zardari and, according to sources in the PML-N and PPP, the two renewed their pledge to save democracy and the constitution.

“Mr Zardari’s telephonic conversations are part of a consultative process with political forces to ward off any threat to democracy,” PPP’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

He said Prime Minister Sharif had called Mr Zardari on Tuesday night and the two exchanged views on the current political situation in the country.

On Monday, Mr Zardari called PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali.

Talking to Imran Khan, Mr Zardari condemned the summoning of the army in Islamabad under Article 245 of the Constitution, but said that any attempt which might wrap up democracy should be avoided.

According to Mr Babar, the former president told Mr Khan that the PPP agreed with his demand for recounting of votes in disputed constituencies under the law and opposed the summoning of troops under Article 245, but it was also crucial that no opportunity was provided to anyone to derail the democratic set-up on the pretext of political instability.

He quoted Mr Zardari as expressing his views on democracy: “The baby should not be thrown out with the bathwater.”

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Khursheed Ahmed Shah of the PPP, is expected to meet Imran Khan and Sirajul Haq on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters while sending relief goods to the IDPs of North Waziristan on Monday, Mr Shah said the PPP was ready to act as mediator between the government and PTI to end their confrontation.

Imran Khan has given a call for a march on the federal capital on Aug 14 against the alleged rigging in the general elections held last year.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has announced that his party will observe Aug 10 as ‘martyrs’ day to pay homage to the victims of the June 17 Model Town incident. He is expected to give a call for ‘revolution march’ on the day.

The PTI spokesperson, Shireen Mazari, claimed in a statement that Mr Zardari had supported the PTI’s call for fair and transparent elections.

According to the statement, the PTI chairman expressed gratitude to the former president for supporting his party’s point of view about re-elections in four controversial constituencies in Punjab.

In his telephonic conversation with Sirajul Haq, the PPP co-chairman also urged him to work for protecting democracy. The PPP spokesperson quoted Mr Zardari as saying: “I believe that the guiding principle should be that worst democracy is better than any so-called benign dictatorship.”

The JI’s spokesman, Shahid Shamsi, said his party would not be part of any move that threatened democracy. He said holding demonstrations and sit-ins was the right of every party, but no opportunity should be given to any ‘third party’ to destabilise democracy.

Sources in the JI told Dawn that the party would not take part in Imran Khan’s long march and it was expected that one or two leaders of the party would attend it for an hour or so to register their token participation.

The PPP spokesman said the purpose of Mr Zardari’s phone calls to political leaders was to lay emphasis on protecting and promoting democracy and the constitution and, at the same time, sending a clear message to the government to listen to the “voices of reason and logic and not overshoot the bullet”.

Mr Babar said the former president had expressed concern over the political scene in the country. “He is keen to consult all political forces in a bid to protect democratic structures from being undermined under any pretext.”

The former president, he said, was keen to dissuade the government from any knee-jerk reaction or embarking upon an irrational and illogical course that might result in political instability and expose democratic institutions to new and unforeseen threats.

Mr Babar said the PPP believed that the decision to summon troops under Article 245 would have serious repercussions and the government should review it.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2014