LAHORE: Federal Edu­cation Minister Shafqat Mahmood and leaders of PPP and Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nati­onalist parties exchanged taunts and allegations during a session at the Faiz Inter­national Festival on Sunday while discussing how Pakistan could move in the right direction.

The minister opened the debate by replying to a question on the present culture of tainting the character of opponents. He said there was a need to promote a culture of dec­ency and camaraderie; he also accused the me­d­ia of repeatedly airing negative comments. National Party’s Hasil Biz­enjo said people wanted demo­cracy in the country, which apparently existed, but in reality there was no democracy as all political parties were pursuing a narrative provided to them. The country was moving towards a silent martial law, he claimed.

PPP’s Chaudhry Manzoor said contradictions in society and the country were deepening. Every institution was encroaching upon the other’s job, he said, adding that the state was becoming more powerful by the day, while political parties and civil society were being undermined.

Former ANP leader Bushra Gohar said the accountability narrative being pursued at present was not new and was pursued by every martial law set-up in the country. She said the state had surrendered to religious extremists who paralysed life, recalling that a police officer had been kidnapped and killed but the state could not do anything. She further said the country needed to discuss fundamentals for moving forward and asked Mr Mahmood how much budget had been allocated to health and education — the sectors he kept talking about.

Mr Mahmood wondered how the speakers were freely levelling allegations against the state on a public forum while claiming there was a martial law. “I regret that whenever they sit together they ignore the basic issues confronting the country,” he said.

Mr Bizenjo said the minister was demanding focus on health and education while the budget of these sectors was just 2.3 and 0.6 per cent, respectively. “You remained in power for five years, you should have increased it,” retorted Mr Mahmood.

Ms Gohar claimed that parliament had been micro-managed, and the political parties were not resisting it. The National Accountability Bureau was blackmailing sus­pects and the media was being controlled, she alleged.

HERITAGE: Speakers at another session highlighted the need for reviving the architecture and culture of Lahore, which was loved for its sights and sounds.

Architect Nayyar Ali Dada presented two sides of Lahore with the help of photos — melodious (past) and harsh (present). He was of the opinion that Lah­o­re became ugly because of cold-blooded commercialism.

Dr Arfa Sayeda explained what Lahore once was, saying it still was a beautiful city. She said cities become beautiful with their residents. The culture of Lahore, its delicacies should also be promoted, she said, while regretting the ban placed on Basant.

Walled City of Lahore Authority Director General Kamran Lashari explained how the authority had resto­red parts of the Walled City.

At another session, former federal ministers Aitzaz Ahsan and Khurshid Kasuri sent a message to India through former Indian diplomat Syeda Hameed that Pakistanis would return the love that the late Kuldip Nayyar had for Pakistan and all political parties desired amicable resolution of disputes, including Kashmir. The three were expressing their views during a session on Indian journalist Nayyar and former Indian bureaucrat Pran Nevile, who had written books on his native Lahore. Ms Hameed volunteered to carry home the message of love from Pakis­tan. She narrated how much the late journalist, who hailed from Sialkot, loved his ancestral town and wanted peace between the two countries.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2018