ISLAMABAD: The PPP asked the government on Monday to form powerful committees for holding negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.

Speaking on an adjournment motion in the upper house to discuss the current political situation following the PTI’s ‘Azadi’ and PAT’s ‘Inqilab’ marches in the federal capital, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPP, criticised the composition of the committees and said he wondered who would like to negotiate with Khawaja Saad Rafique, the Railways Minister, who is known for making fiery speeches against Mr Khan and Dr Qadri.

“It only indicates that you are not serious about talks,” he said.

Referring to media reports that he had been nominated as member of one of the committees, Mr Ahsan said a letter to that effect should have been written to the PPP because it was for the party to decide.

“Suppose I go as a member of the negotiating team, what will I carry with me? Do I have Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s resignation in my pocket,” he asked.

Aitzaz Ahsan said the negotiators were not in a position to give an assurance about a roadmap for accountability and audit of assets of all, including the prime minister, and to discuss a constitutional package.

He said the good thing was that both the sit-ins appeared to be heading towards failure, but feared that the marchers might be used as fuel by their leaders out of desperation. The sad part was that the failure would add to the ‘arrogance’ of Sharif brothers and strengthen ‘monarchy’, he added.

The PPP leader said the rulers would not learn any lesson from the resistance. The prime minister should have taken the parliament into confidence in a joint session before the crisis reached this point, he added.

Mr Ahsan said it was ironic that most of the allegations levelled by Mr Khan and Dr Qadri, including those pertaining to rigging in last year’s general elections and mega corruption, were correct. He said he had documentary evidence that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid a total of Rs477 in tax in three years – 1995-97.

The opposition leader said it would amount to abrogation of the Constitution if a justification was provided to the army for intervention. “We will keep on fixing responsibility and lose Pakistan,” he warned.

Senator Farhatullah Babar of the PPP said that because of “some recent events, the balance of power has shifted from Islamabad to Rawalpindi” and there was a potent threat to democracy. “This is a bad omen for democracy and democratic institutions.”

Mr Babar urged the government to hold negotiations with both the PTI and PAT to defuse the situation.

He described as short-sighted the attitude of ministers treating Imran Khan as “an insane and irrational person” and not talking to him. “You do not dismiss so summarily and contemptuously even an actually insane person who climbs up a pole threatening to kill himself and others. Instead you seek to negotiate with the insane person to persuade him to come down,” he said.

Mr Babar said that even if it was conceded for a moment that Mr Khan was an insane person, the government should still seek to approach and negotiate with him. He criticised Mr Khan’s call for civil disobedience and asking people not to pay utility bills and taxes.

Afrasiab Khatak of the Awami National Party (ANP) said the PTI chief’s call would set a wrong precedence and people would start pressing for acceptance of their ‘unusual’ demands through what he called ‘mobcracy’.

The Taliban may converge in even greater numbers tomorrow to dislodge another government if this precedence is set. He accused the PTI of winning the elections with the support of terrorists and said “democratic forces will not support any unconstitutional and undemocratic steps”.

Haji Adeel of the ANP described as too late the prime minister’s announcement of constituting a judicial commission to investigate the PTI’s allegations of rigging. “The prime minister thinks a lot, but acts so late.”

Senator Zahid Khan asked JI Emir Sirajul Haq and MQM chief Altaf Hussain to take the mediation between the leaders of marchers and the government to a logical conclusion.

The Senate will meet again on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2014