PPP, ANP call for dialogue to break political impasse

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) have emphasised the need for dialogue among political parties to tackle the ongoing constitutional and political crisis in the country, ARY News reported on Monday.

A PPP delegation led by Senator Yousuf Raza Gillani approached ANP for dialogue among political parties to tackle the ongoing crisis in the country.

Talking to journalists, Yousuf Raza Gillani said that the ANP had always rendered sacrifices for the restoration of democracy and rule of law in the country.

He said the basic purpose of the Constitution was that all institutions would exercise their powers within their constitutional domain.

“The PPP wants to make a conducive environment for dialogue among the political parties as all the problems being faced by the county will be addressed through the dialogue process,” he added.

Yousuf Gillani said the masses were looking to the political parties in the current political and economic situation prevailing in the country.

He added that there was no concept of economic stability sans political equilibrium in the country and therefore, it was the best strategy to hold dialogue with the political parties especially those who were allies of the government.

Taking over the presser, ANP Secretary General Mian Iftikhar Hussain said he was thankful to the PPP delegation for approaching them for the dialogue. “It was a good step by the PPP and all the political parties should it as the country could no longer afford unrest and chaos,” he added.

He said the political parties would have join hands for the supremacy of the Parliament and to ensure that all institutions work in their domain.

It all required a democratic environment, for which dialogue was mandatory, he said, adding, “Our dialogue efforts (when the ANP was leading government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) had created awareness among the masses that terrorists had only objective to kill people and were not ready for talks.”

Mian Iftikhar said the unanimously approved Constitution of 1973 was the outcome of a dialogue and consensus between the opposition leader, Khan Abdul Wali Khan and Leader of the House in National Assembly Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

“Politicians need to end the ambience of uncertainty and for this they should sit and work together for the supremacy of the Constitution, Parliament and other institutions,” he added.

He said the ANP was going to hold an all parties’ conference (APC) in the Federal Capital on May 3, while the PPP had decided to build consensus among the coalition parties prior to holding dialogue with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which was a positive step.

The PTI among all other political parties would be invited to attend the APC, he added.