KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said national dialogue is the need of the hour.

He was talking with journalists on Thursday after offering condolences to Nasreen Jalil, on the death of her husband M.A. Jalil, and Masood Khuhro, on the demise of his mother Dr Hamida Khuhro, at their respective residences.

Shujaat, who arrived in the city on Wednesday, said dialogue among all political parties was of grave importance in the current political scenario and it could be held anytime, either before or after the 2018 polls.

When asked to comment on government’s intentions of amending Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, the PML-Q chief said making education a federal subject again by amending the Constitution was more important than amending Articles 62 and 63.

He was of the opinion that standard of education in the country deteriorated after education was made a provincial subject.

Responding to a question, Shujaat, who is also a former prime minister, said, “We are striving towards uniting all factions of the Muslim League and for that purpose, a committee has been formed to get in touch with those who are no more active in politics or those who have joined other parties.”

He said Nawaz Sharif was not confronting the army but the judiciary.

Earlier, addressing a party convention, he asked Muslim League activists and office-bearers to persuade those who have left the party to rejoin it.

PML-Q secretary general and MNA Tariq Basheer Cheema said the country was passing through difficult times and claimed that more cases of Nawaz Sharif’s corruption would come up soon.

The Sindh chapter president of the PML-Q, Asad Junejo, said their party was becoming popular in the province and they had started making preparations for next year’s general elections.

He also announced that Pervez Ali Shah had been nominated by the party as the chief organiser of the party in Sindh.

The convention was also addressed by senior vice president Meer Naseer Mengal, Senator Seemi Siddiqui and others.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2017