KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said on Sunday that his party would not allow anyone to derail democracy in the country.

He was talking to reporters after a meeting with Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah here.

He said that dialogue process between the PML-N government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) would start after consultations with all political parties.

All political parties were working together for defusing political tension in the country, he said, adding that in a democratic dispensation all issues could be resolved through negotiations.

Shah to meet opposition parties to work out mediation strategy

He pointed out that the government on a suggestion of Jamaat-i-Islami had removed barricades from the routes of the long marches launched by the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek. The government’s decision to allow the two parties to stage their marches had solved half of the problems and the remaining issues would be resolved through talks, he added.

Khursheed Shah appreciated the efforts being made by the JI for defusing political tension.

He expressed the hope that the JI and the PPP could hammer out a formula acceptable to both the government and the PTI for bringing an end to the standoff.

Answering a question, Mr Shah said that before launching the march Imran Khan had assured them that PTI’s protest would remain peaceful.

Our Staff Reporter adds from Islamabad: Mr Shah will preside over a meeting of opposition parties in parliament on Monday to devise a strategy to mediate between the government and the PTI and PAT.

“I have called a meeting of opposition parties in the parliament to sit together and find out a way how to tackle the situation,” he said.

He said the opposition would form its own committee which would meet leaders of the ruling PML-N and the PTI and PAT.

He urged the government to show generosity and meet some of the legal and constitutional demands of PTI and PAT.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014