A good decision by the PTI

After just over seven months, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will be returning to the assemblies its members had resigned en masse from on August 22 last year. The resignations from the National Assembly and three out of four provincial assemblies had, however, not been confirmed. The PTI had decided not to quit the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. Its return to the legislature ends a long crisis and ensures that a party that constitutes a major political force will be able to take part in the decision-making and legislative process. Imran Khan himself referred to the need for this in reference to the crisis in Yemen as the party announced its decision to return after a core committee meeting at his residence in Bani Gala, Islamabad.



The PTI had opted to quit the assemblies at the height of its tumultuous protests in Islamabad. The return to the seats that have lain vacant for months comes following the decision on the setting up of a judicial commission to probe the 2013 election. Allegations of large-scale unfair play during that poll had of course led the PTI to take to the streets. With this matter now resolved, we hope that from now on, the PTI will be able to use parliament as the forum where disagreement is expressed and solutions reached. This is something our country needs.

Protest action on the roads simply leads to the kind of unrest we could do without at this stage in our national life. At the same time, our democracy badly needs strong opposition and powerful voices who can speak out on various issues. The PTI has the undoubted capacity to offer this and thereby contribute to the building of a truly democratic culture we have so far struggled to evolve. Its role within the assemblies should then prove to be a very positive one. The input from the PTI on key issues of national concern will be very closely watched over the coming months. We welcome the party’s representatives back to the assemblies and believe they can contribute to building these into bodies truly able to put forward the voices of people across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th,  2015.

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