Bilawal calls for devising 'rules of the game'

ISLAMABAD:

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto on Monday admitted that the government has failed to keep institutions within their constitutional boundaries, emphasising the need to settle "the rules of the game."

He regretted that despite his past assertions that institutions should work within their boundaries, the goal remained unachieved during the past fifteen months or so.

With the country approaching elections, he called on all political parties to consider how they can resolve this issue, questioning whether these parties would continue to tackle the same issues as in the past.

In urging consensus on the old or new Charter of Democracy, the PPP chairman emphasised the need for political parties to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects efforts to facilitate reconciliation and the smooth functioning of the system.

"It is the PPP's view that we need to bring onboard all political parties, even those outside the assembly, on a Charter of Democracy," he said, adding that if not on a new version, they can consider the former one.

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However, he noted that other institutions should also be part of this dialogue, where they collectively decide whether WAPDA should be run by its federal minister or the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

He stressed the importance of settling the rules of the game and determining the code of conduct to be followed, not only among political parties but also among institutions.

During his address in the National Assembly, the foreign minister highlighted that since the beginning, their intention was to regain the space lost by democratic forces during the "selected" regime of the PTI government, continuing the efforts initiated during the 2008-2013 tenure.

“Even when the ruling alliance was part of the opposition, they strived to stay within the constitutional domain.”

He further noted that they protested against the selected rule established through rigging but were cautious not to make decisions that would harm the country and its democracy.

The foreign minister mentioned the formation of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and their emphasis on following the democratic route, avoiding sit-ins and allowing others to take advantage of the situation.

He highlighted that during this period, they successfully removed a selected prime minister through the constitutional process of a no-confidence motion, a historic event in Pakistan's history.

Calling it a historic achievement, Bilawal said that when the PDM came to power, the purpose was to right the wrongs that had been done, strengthen civilian institutions, and restore the supremacy of the parliament and democracy.

“History will be the judge of whether we were successful in our efforts or not,” he said.

As someone who has experienced for generations, the delicate dance between democracy and dictatorship in Pakistan, he said it was the duty of both the government and the opposition to play their roles, albeit within their respective constitutional boundaries.

However, he said, it is unfortunate that on coming to power, the ruling coalition encountered an opposition party which neither paid any heed to the constitution, parliament and the country nor did it care for its own workers or the people.

This is the very same party that grossly violated democratic and constitutional boundaries while being in the opposition in a way that had never been done before, he said, saying, “We did not resort to such politics even when the PM of the country was sent to the gallows or martyred.”

He said PPP did not cross the red lines even while facing dictators such as General Zia and Musharraf. When his mother and ex-PM Benazir Bhutto was martyred, he said, even then the PPP gave the country the slogans of ‘Pakistan Khappay’ and ‘Democracy is the best revenge’ so that the country could avoid any and all sort of chaos and harm.

Unfortunately, he regretted, the government witnessed an opposition that attacked the Jinnah House and military installations on May 9. “We then had to take certain measures to establish the writ of the state to set an example,” he said.

However, he added, it seems as if the opposition is adamant about not learning a lesson and continues to adopt the same attitude, which is to engage in the politics of hate and division, and to resort to forming personal grudges and vendetta against one’s opponents.

During his speech, Bilawal said that not once did PPP resort to using abusive language to put the point across, saying instead it opted to use the democratic tools provided by the constitution.