QUETTA: Founder of the ruling Balochistan Awami Party Saeed Ahmed Hashmi has called for a national dialogue to reduce political tension and bring the government and opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement to negotiation table.

Mr Hashmi said the government and PDM leadership should not increase political tension so much that it harmed the existing system, keeping in view the prevailing national, regional and international situation.

“Let the political game remain in the political pitch,” he said while talking to journalists here on Sunday.

He expressed serious concern over growing political tensions and suggested to Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser to convene a speakers’ conference so that both sides could be brought to the negotiation table for building a clear national narrative.

The BAP leader said there was immediate need to reduce tension as the situation was worsening with each passing day. Political leadership might lose the people’s confidence as key issues such as price hike, unemployment and economic conditions had been in the background, he said.

BAP founder asks NA speaker to convene conference of speakers

“Increasing political tension has stagnated the process of dialogue that is needed to take the country out of the worsening situation,” he said, adding that there should be efforts for initiating dialogue between the two sides to shun their differences over various issues.

The BAP founder suggested to the National Assembly speaker to play his role by taking the initiative. “Speaker, who is constitutionally neutral, plays the role of a bridge between government and opposition parties and paves the way for initiating dialogue,” Mr Hashmi explained.

Pointing out that the government and the opposition had taken extreme stances against each other, Mr Hashmi warned that results of what was happening in the political arena of Pakistan would not be positive. The government and the opposition must take into account the national, regional and international situation, he said, adding that if the political game went out of the political arena, then it would have negative fallout for the country.

He said the big powers were keeping a close eye on the developments in the country, while 220 million Pakistanis were looking at their respective political leadership to see when the public issues would finally be resolved. He urged all the parties to shun their differences in order to strengthen public confidence in the political system. The movements that would harm the country and the democratic system should be avoided, he added.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2020