KARACHI, Aug 8: Former interior minister Lt Gen Moinuddin Haider on Sunday said that the country needs a grand political dialogue to resolve differences, evolve consensus on mega projects and forge unity and harmony among the people of different areas and provinces to achieve durable democratic setup.
Speaking as chief guest at the launch of Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmad's book, "Nawaz Sharif- Iqtidar Sey Ataab Tak" (Nawaz Sharif- from rule to sufferings) here, Mr Haider said the big political parties were an asset of the nation, and any effort to break them into pieces might prove damaging for the country's political system.
He further said the politicians and political workers should try to be realistic and instead of defending wrong acts of their leaders, should admit the 'facts' about their corruption and misgivings.
He maintained that the Pakistan Peoples' Party workers kept on defending its 'corruption-ridden' leadership, while PML (N) workers failed to see any fault in Nawaz Sharif, which would only complicate the political situation.
It was under a political government, when there were rampant strikes in the city and people were killed ruthlessly, he said, adding that political forces should sit together to work out a durable system for the country.
He was of the view that no single political party could run the national affairs. All parties should be taken into confidence and their cooperation should be sought to solve the complicated issues, which were disturbing different segments of the people in different provinces.
Now the world leaders were visiting the country, which showed that its image had been revived and it had seized to be a state which was unable to pay its debts and going to default on its international liabilities, he said.
"We should not forget where we were and where we have reached now," he added. Justifying the removal and arrest of former premier Nawaz Sharif, he said the army exercised restraint on many critical junctures in the history of the country, but when the chief of army staff was removed during his official tour abroad and his plane was not allowed to land on the country's soil, then one should be prepared for what Nawaz Sharif had later.
He said the present rulers wanted to introduce democratic system within the political parties, so that the parties be purged of corrupt leaders, numbering 50 to 100 in every party, who get themselves elected every time and dominated their respective parties.
Let the real political workers emerge as representatives of the people in the parliaments to resolve their problems sincerely, he said. Earlier, the author of the book, Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, said that the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League (N) could not be ignored in the country's politics. "If you take out these two from the political scenario in the country, there is nothing left," he remarked.
He said it was always easy to criticize the previous regimes, but the important thing was to examine the achievements of the past rulers in a realistic manner.
He demanded that supremacy of the parliament should be ensured, all decisions of national and international importance be made by the parliament, a decision on troops to Iraq, independence of judiciary and an end to police-state image of the country.
He also demanded that the autonomy be given to the provinces to fight the anti-federation sentiments in different provinces, besides an end to army operations against Baloch tribes and in tribal areas of the NWFP.
He suggested that an effective dialogue with the people could help solve the problems and conflicts which were necessitating the army operations in these areas. He also urged the government to release all political prisoners, including Asif Zardari.
He added that the government should ensure that the by-elections on Aug 18 be transparent and fair. Others who spoke on the occasion included Sher Baz Mazari, Ellahi Baksh Soomro, prof N D Khan, and Ijaz Shafi. - APP