The talks between the government and the PTI have been stuck for too long, as if the pause button had been hit and then not released. This has been the situation now for more than four months. We badly need a breakthrough. A stalemate under the present situation would be disastrous. We face too grave a crisis to allow for this. The militant monster looks down upon us, seeking an opportunity to strike. Any failure to reach an accord will offer it this opportunity and make the ongoing battle we are fighting harder to win. This is not a pleasant prospect; indeed, it is one so alarming we must do everything possible to avert it.
This makes it imperative that the parties involved act wisely and responsibly. A way forward needs to be found, the next move made. As PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, flexibility is required. This must, of course, come from both sides. There is now no longer any time left for finger-pointing and the making of accusations at each other. It is the government which must saw through the steel mesh and make the moves required to progress and we would expect the PTI to cooperate in this. After all, political leaders must put the interests of people above all else, and right now, it is most important of all that they find a way to maintain unity and act together in a time of crisis. Any halt in the talks process will only distract attention from this purpose and add to the challenges we already face. It is imperative that the bigger picture be seen and a way found to settle the differences that exist so that we can get on with the tasks that matter most at this moment in time.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2014.
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