ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Bar Association’s president, Kamran Murtaza, suggested on Friday that for the cause of democracy Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should reach out to chiefs of the two protesting parties in their containers on the Constitution Avenue.

Talking to Dawn, he said such a step could help end the political impasse that has gripped the nation for the past many days.

Turning to army for resolution of the political crisis would not bring a good name to the government, he said.

Referring to the late-night meetings of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Dr Tahirul Qadri with Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, Mr Murtaza said the casualty in the episode ultimately would be democracy and the rule of law.

“Alas. Those who were claiming to be in the forefront for the cause of democracy could not withstand pressures for one moment, when it came to their petty interests,” he remarked.

“Instead of resolving the complicated matters a few meters away from the sit-ins (in parliament), the political leaders preferred to go many kilometres away (to the GHQ) to seek a solution to the political impasse,” he said. And the damage caused to the supremacy of parliament and democratic norms would need decades to repair.

“Thus the so-called national leaders have proved once again that they have not matured and we as a nation are still standing at the point from where we started our journey 67 years ago.”

The political developments had also established that parliament, comprising representatives of the people, was a supreme body only in the Constitution, whereas the real power centre was still somewhere else, the SCBA leader said.

“This has also established that most of the hapless people of this poor nation will continue to find it difficult to make both ends meet and will continue to live below the poverty line,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014