Political hullabaloo: Shah advises govt to stop ‘bullying’

Opposition leader says govt should follow policy of reconciliation like its predecessors.

ISLAMABAD:

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has advised the incumbent government to follow the policy of political reconciliation like its predecessors because ‘bullets and bullying’ are not in the interest of democracy.

“If the democrat forces do not follow democratic norms and traditions, they will be guilty in front of the nation,” Shah said while speaking in the lower house on the birth anniversary of PPP’s late chairperson Benazir Bhutto on Saturday.

He lamented what he called the dangerous trend of ‘bullets and bullying of the present government’ and emphasised the need for politics of dialogue, reconciliation and peace. “I strongly believe there is no relation between democracy and dictatorship. If we start mixing up the two then it will be dangerous for democracy,” he added.

He said the policy of conciliation in democracy was introduced by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the PPP – a policy that was instrumental in ensuring the first democratic transition of power in the history of Pakistan. “Not only this, but during our government not a single person was imprisoned on political grounds,” he added.



Shah said some people talked ill of the present system and wanted to introduce a new system of governance and Constitution. “I think their intentions have nothing to do with reality because constitutional way is the only way to make this happen,” he said.

Shah said conspiracies derailed the democratic system in the past, but the change that dictators introduced proved to be a farce. “Now, people have understood the difference between the benefits of democracy and setbacks of dictatorship, so they cannot be deceived anymore,” he added.

Shah said Benazir played a charismatic role in strengthening democracy, upholding Constitution and boosting parliament.

After independence democracy remained in the dock, but the exemplary struggles of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto saved and strengthened democracy.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2014.