LAHORE: The PPP has termed PML-N’s decision to hold rallies in the country in response to the ongoing agitation as “ill-conceived and self-defeating”.

“The government rallies will only aggravate the volatile political environment obtaining in the country,” PPP Punjab president Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo said here on Tuesday.

He said the ruling party must not add fuel to the fire. “It should undertake all possible steps to defuse the crisis which has crippled the country,” he said.

Mr Wattoo said the ruling party was major stakeholder in the system and the confrontation might benefit the opposition and surely undermine the political system in the country.

He said any clash between the agitating parties would lead to the loss of lives thus posing threat to democracy.

He called for registration of an FIR against those accused of killing 14 supporters of Dr Tahirul Qadri in Model Town on June 17.

“Delay in this regard is raising a question of indiscriminate application of law in the province of Punjab,” he said.

Mr Wattoo said the PPP would not compromise on the future of democracy in the country come what may.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014