Protecting Democracy: Consensus among parties urged

Tensions between the elected government and the judiciary have been simmering since the 2008 elections.

The Supreme Court’s (SC) preliminary order in the National Reconciliation Ordinance calls for caution on the state’s part to ensure the political process is protected against another interruption as in the past, said a Worker’s Party Pakistan statement issued on Wednesday.

If restraint is not exercised and confrontation arises, the fragile democracy and the federation could be subjected to disastrous pressures, said the statement.

Tensions between the elected government and the judiciary have been simmering since the 2008 election and it is unfortunate that sections of the media and certain political forces have been trying to sensationalise it, which only benefits the anti-democratic forces, the party leaders noted.

The reaction to the SC’s announcement on January 10 is a continuation of this trend and there is an urgent need for all political forces to develop a consensus to prevent matters from coming to a head in the coming days, they added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2012.