Saad Rafique urges Nawaz Sharif to rise to occasion; play role in initiating a dialogue
PML-N Leader Khawaja Saad Rafique. Photo: Express
LAHORE:
PML-N leaders, both within and outside the power corridors, have concurred on the need for a new Charter of Democracy to dilute political animosity in the country.
There has also been a call for PML-N President Nawaz Sharif to rise to the occasion and play his role in initiating a dialogue process among all stakeholders.
These ideas were expressed at a ceremony held to mark the death anniversary of the late Khawaja Muhammad Rafique, the father of PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique.
Besides Minister for Law Azam Nazir Tarar, Adviser to the PM Rana Sanaullah and Saad Rafique, and Salman Rafique, the speakers included politician Mohsin Dawar, JI leader Liaqat Baloch, former PML-N leader Zaeem Qadri, and journalists Hamid Mir and Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami.
Despite the nature of the gathering, the majority of the speeches revolved around political instability, the need to revert to democratic principles, and, in general, the PTI.
The most hard-hitting speeches were delivered by Mohsin Dawar and senior journalist Hamid Mir, with the former questioning the efficacy of the system governing federating units under the constitutional scheme, while the latter reminded the audience of how Khawaja Muhammad Rafique had valiantly fought against the then field marshal Ayub Khan for democracy.
Azam Nazir Tarar said there was an urgent need to forge a way out of this quicksand of political extremism through dialogue. He said a national dialogue was the need of the hour to achieve political and financial stability in the country, adding that without political stability, no country could progress.
He said Pakistan needed a political charter, and stressed the importance of leaving behind a better Pakistan for future generations. In what might sound ironic, he said that the way forward was to take criticism with bravery and patience.
Tarar left only seconds before Mohsin Dawar began his address, as he had to attend a nikah ceremony.
Dawar said fascism had not come to an end after the Partition. He said the struggle of Khawaja Muhammad Rafique was identical to the struggle of today’s politicians, who were fighting for democratic principles.
“We are free only on paper,” he said, adding that democracy’s flag-bearer Ali Wazir and human rights activist Mahrang Baloch, who raised the issue of enforced disappearances, were both behind bars.
He said sedition charges were slapped on them merely for reminding the government that using the Taliban as a proxy in Afghanistan would prove to be a counterproductive policy, one that continues to haunt Pakistan to this day.
He said smaller federating units were finding it increasingly difficult to function under the existing constitutional scheme, questioning whether democracy truly existed within that system.
He also demanded that the Senate be made more functional and powerful, on the lines of the National Assembly, and claimed that his election results were changed through Form 47.
Rana Sanaullah said infighting and chaos impeded growth, but maintained that people should openly acknowledge who was avoiding dialogue.
Defending the government, he said the Shehbaz Sharif-led government had repeatedly reached out to the opposition with various offers, but each time these were rejected by the PTI, as its founder did not want stability in the country.
He said after the no-confidence motion, the PML-N twice wanted to move towards snap elections, but on both occasions Imran Khan reneged on his commitments, forcing the PML-N government to alter its plans.
He said Imran Khan himself walked into a blind alley on May 9, questioning whether there was any justification for what had happened.
He said it was this chaos that Imran Khan wanted to create in Pakistan, and that certain limitations were therefore placed on meetings with him.
He said political forces were currently on a collision course, which would only further deteriorate the situation.
Responding to allegations regarding the February 8, 2024 elections, raised even during the event by PML-N’s own leaders, he questioned whether the July 25, 2018 elections were fair when, he said, the PML-N’s mandate had been stolen.
Rana Sanaullah said that opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, despite expressing disappointment over alleged election rigging, had extended greetings to the government and offered a Charter of Economy to the Imran Khan-led government, and that a similar spirit had been shown by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
“What Imran Khan did thereafter is a matter of record,” he added.
He also rejected claims that the prime minister did not have the permission to engage in dialogue, saying that all offers made by the government were extended in the presence of relevant stakeholders, implying that the military establishment was not impeding any prospective talks.
Khawaja Saad Rafique urged PML-N President Nawaz Sharif to rise to the occasion and play his role in initiating a dialogue process among all stakeholders.
