ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have put the onus of resolving the prevailing political crisis squarely on the government, asking it to “offer some sacrifice”.

“There is a need for some political actions. The government should have a big heart and offer some sacrifice,” MQM’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar said after having rounds of meetings with various political leaders, including Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, over the past two days.

Also read: PPP, MQM reiterate resolve to uphold democracy

Meanwhile, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) continued its efforts to mediate between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

When contacted, a JI spokesman said party chief Sirajul Haq had met Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen before departing for Lahore to attend the party’s foundation day function.

The MQM delegation comprising Dr Farooq Sattar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Babar Ghouri and Haider Abbas Rizvi separately called on chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah of the PPP and PTI’s President Javed Hashmi.

On Monday, the MQM team separately met PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq.

It also met PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri in his container on the Constitution Avenue late on Monday night.

Sources said the MQM delegation was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

“So far, the government is doing too little too late,” Dr Sattar said while talking to Dawn after a meeting with PPP leaders at the residence of Syed Khurshid Shah.

He said the time had come that the PML-N leadership should show some magnanimity. He asked the government not to allow ego to become a hurdle in the way to the solution of the prevailing crisis.

Without elaborating, the MQM leader said the government should offer “some element of sacrifice”. He, however, refused to give a reply when asked what specific sacrifice his party wanted from the government to offer.

He said the MQM was ready to play the role of a facilitator and would make every effort to save the ‘democratic system’ from getting derailed.

Talking to reporters, Khurshid Shah endorsed the MQM’s viewpoint that the government should offer sacrifice in order to save democracy.

He reiterated that the PPP was not supporting any party and only wanted supremacy of the Constitution and continuation of the democratic system.

He said political parties were trying to resolve the ongoing crisis with patience and reconciliation. He requested both Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri to show some flexibility.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014