Political stalemate: ‘Lack of flexibility threat to democracy’

Imposition of martial law will spell doom for national security, says Baloch.

LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) secretary general Liaquat Baloch said on Sunday that the rigidity of those demanding resignations and those rejecting the demand was a threat to democracy and the Constitution.

He was addressing a press conference. Baloch said Pakistanis across the world were worried about the political impasse. He said they wanted the resolution of political differences through negotiations. Baloch said he had been instructed by JI ameer Sirajul Haq to maintain contact with Khurshid Shah, Asma Jehangir, Aitezaz Ahsan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He said these leaders had stressed the need for unity to overcome the political deadlock in accordance with the Constitution.

Baloch said that no one would object to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s voluntary resignations. However, he said this would set a bad precedent. Baloch said Article 245 of the Constitution had been invoked to call army to Islamabad to protect state institutions. He said the military did not have the right to take any unconstitutional step. He said the government’s strategy and the efforts of some political parties to resolve the impasse had failed. Baloch condemned use of force against women, children and workers of some television channels. Baloch said the JI had supported the demands of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek. He said the party had strived hard to ensure that the negotiations succeeded. He said the armed forces were engaged in a military offensive against terrorists in North Waziristan and the imposition of martial law in the country would aggravate threat to national security.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2014.