ISLAMABAD: The Senate retained conciliatory aura for the second consecutive day on Friday with calls for burying the politics of confrontation and strengthening the parliamentary democracy.

PPP’s parliamentary party leader Senator Sherry Rehman while opening discussion on President Asif Ali Zardari’s address to the joint sitting of parliament reiterated his message of turning a new page in history to address the challenges facing the nation.

“We all should welcome President Asif Ali Zardari’s address in which he called on all political leaders to turn a new page, hold dialogue and aim for the much-needed political reset.”

She said the president’s stress on political dialogue, unity and an end to polarisation is the only way forward in these challenging circumstances.

Sherry advises PTI to take up rigging claims in court; Irfan Siddiqui claims no political prisoners in the country; Ali Zafar laments bulldozing of bills

Speaking about the PPP leadership, she said the PPP had a history of rendering sacrifices but it never degraded the dignity of the state.

“After the martyrdom of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto faced severe hardships yet she never created problems for the country and people. Asif Ali Zardari was in jail for 14 years. Yet, Asif Ali Zardari never took political revenge from anyone and there was no political prisoner in his previous tenure,” she remarked.

Cautioning against the politics of hatred, she called upon all the stakeholders to heed President Zardari’s call for a new legacy based on unity and cooperation.

Referring to allegations of poll rigging, she advised the PTI to approach the courts, but said they must not expect favourable decisions all the time.

She pointed out that polls have always been controversial in Pakistan, adding that the 2018 elections had even been called the ‘RO’s elections’.

Advice to PTI

PML-N parliamentary leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui urged the PTI to hold talks to solve the crises facing the country. He noted that politicians faced ups and downs and governments came and went but they have to leave some traditions and legacy for future generations.

Talking about reconciliation, he said it was a two-way process. “We are ready to extend an olive branch to PTI and let us shake hands,” he said and urged the party of ex-prime minister Imran Khan to “come forward for Pakistan and let us sit together”.

Referring to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s reported warning that he would “attack” Islamabad in protest, Mr Siddiqui urged PTI to do away with such tone. If PTI can shake hands with its worst political enemies such as Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, then why it cannot sit with the incumbent government in the interest of the country, he asked.

Mr Siddiqui said there is no political prisoner in the country at present, explaining that the PTI founder was behind bars after having being convicted in various cases.

PTI response

PTI’s parliamentary leader Senator Ali Zafar stressed that there was dire need of working together while keeping aside political differences or else matters of grave concern would be forgotten and ignored. He said parliament had lost its integrity and become a laughing stock for foreign countries because it was discharging its functions in total negation of the rules of business.

Underlining the need for doing away with the practice of ‘bulldozing of legislation’, he said there were laws that were neither discussed nor referred to any committee or allowed to be reviewed or read by the senators before being passed hastily only for the benefit of a few.

He said such like instances had seriously damaged the prestige of legislature which further culminated in people losing faith in parliament.

He said it was the responsibility of the Senate to bring forth, discuss and debate internal and external issues of grave importance so that every member can share his opinion.

“Based on these opinions, the government can then arrive at the best possible solutions in the best interest of Pakistan and its people,” he remarked.

He said treasury benches should have a heart to bear criticism, assuring that criticism from his party would be based on facts.

He recalled that the Quaid-i-Azam had proposed the structure of Pakistan’s democracy on the basis of four principles — rule of law, good governance, unity and diversity and, above all, a society built on tolerance. According to the PTI senator, Pakistan has failed in adopting these basic principles.

Speaking about Iran’s attack on Israel, he urged the government to brief the house about the recent visit of Iranian president to Pakistan.

He also blasted the ECP for allegedly trying to throw PTI out of the political process.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2024