Faisalabad clashes: Radicalisation of politics can harm democracy, says Zardari

Ex-president says PML-N and PTI should have exercised restraint.

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari called Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, the party’s Punjab president, on Tuesday and discussed with him the current political situation in the province.

The former president is currently on a tour of Iran.

“During the conversation, Zardari expressed sorrow at the loss of life during the clashes between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). He said both parties should have exercised restraint to avoid the clash in Faisalabad in the larger interest of democracy,” Wattoo said.



He said that the co-chairman had urged both parties to pursue the politics of reconciliation because the radicalisation of politics could be immensely counter-productive for the political system in the country.

“The co-chairman said tolerance is needed to face the challenges threatening our independence and the way of life,” Wattoo said.

He said that the co-chairman expressed satisfaction over the successful convening of the two-day All Pakistan Foundation Day Convention in Lahore on November 30.

“The co-chairman will soon come to Lahore again and will visit various districts of the province,” he said.

Wattoo welcomed the decision of the Political Jirga to approach the Supreme Court to ask it to form a judicial commission for investigating the allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections.

“It is a wise step to deal with the inflexible attitude of the PML-N and the PTI, who seem determined to fight the duel to the end,” he said.

He said that the politics of agitation and non-acceptance of reasonable demands by the government had already caused irreparable damage to the country.

“They (the two parties) cannot be allowed to hold the future of the nation hostage,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2014.