Bury the hatchet: Bilawal receives praise as he welcomes PM to Thar
Politicians hopeful of growing national consensus.
The act signals a new trend wherein political rivals are united on an issue of national significance. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Peoples Party patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s decision to welcome Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally during his visit to Tharparkar was praised by leaders across the political spectrum. The PPP leader’s gesture came weeks after his father, PPP President Asif Ali Zardari broke ground on an energy project in Sindh with the PM.
On Wednesday, the PM visited the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, a staunch critic of the PML-N government. Observers say this signals a new trend wherein political rivals are united on an issue of national significance, putting aside their differences in order to form consensus.
“It seems our political forces have matured with the passage of time,” commented Nazir Ahmad Bughio, PPP MNA from Larkana. “They want to pave the road to strengthen democratic norms and are burying the past.” He added, “We should end the old culture of rivalry and instead create an environment conducive to democratic values in political parties and society in general.” Bughio said he expected that a similarly friendly reception would be accorded to PPP leaders on subsequent visits to Punjab.
PPP leaders give credit for this attitude to the party’s chairperson Benazir Bhutto. “We pursued the idea of reconciliation,” said Naveed Chaudhry, a veteran PPP leader from Lahore, adding, “Bilawal is taking the ideology of our late leader forward.”
While commenting that the party accepted the results of last year’s elections, despite serious reservations, Chaudhry said the PPP has extended all possible support to the PML-N government. He remarked that during Zardari’s tenure as president, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif avoided meetings with him in Lahore. “When Pakistan is facing isolation due to a number of internal and external factors, all political forces should be united and steer the country out of these crises,” he added.
“It is good for all of political forces to keep their differences limited to the extent of elections,” said Muhammad Pervaiz Malik, PML-N’s MNA from Lahore, adding, “After that they should think about Pakistan.”
The Awami National Party’s Senator Shahi Syed said the party’s leadership is ‘very happy’ with these developments and hopes to see the trend continue. Additionally, PML-Q secretary general Mushahid Hussain Syed said such consensus was a positive development and good omen for democracy in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2014.
Pakistan Peoples Party patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s decision to welcome Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally during his visit to Tharparkar was praised by leaders across the political spectrum. The PPP leader’s gesture came weeks after his father, PPP President Asif Ali Zardari broke ground on an energy project in Sindh with the PM.
On Wednesday, the PM visited the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, a staunch critic of the PML-N government. Observers say this signals a new trend wherein political rivals are united on an issue of national significance, putting aside their differences in order to form consensus.
“It seems our political forces have matured with the passage of time,” commented Nazir Ahmad Bughio, PPP MNA from Larkana. “They want to pave the road to strengthen democratic norms and are burying the past.” He added, “We should end the old culture of rivalry and instead create an environment conducive to democratic values in political parties and society in general.” Bughio said he expected that a similarly friendly reception would be accorded to PPP leaders on subsequent visits to Punjab.
PPP leaders give credit for this attitude to the party’s chairperson Benazir Bhutto. “We pursued the idea of reconciliation,” said Naveed Chaudhry, a veteran PPP leader from Lahore, adding, “Bilawal is taking the ideology of our late leader forward.”
While commenting that the party accepted the results of last year’s elections, despite serious reservations, Chaudhry said the PPP has extended all possible support to the PML-N government. He remarked that during Zardari’s tenure as president, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif avoided meetings with him in Lahore. “When Pakistan is facing isolation due to a number of internal and external factors, all political forces should be united and steer the country out of these crises,” he added.
“It is good for all of political forces to keep their differences limited to the extent of elections,” said Muhammad Pervaiz Malik, PML-N’s MNA from Lahore, adding, “After that they should think about Pakistan.”
The Awami National Party’s Senator Shahi Syed said the party’s leadership is ‘very happy’ with these developments and hopes to see the trend continue. Additionally, PML-Q secretary general Mushahid Hussain Syed said such consensus was a positive development and good omen for democracy in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2014.