Politicians, civil society call for the restoration of political activities, the release of political workers, including women
The National Dialogue Committee (NDC) is calling a conference in Islamabad to discuss the political situation in the country.
The National Dialogue Committee (NDC) has called for immediate and comprehensive talks between the government and the opposition to address Pakistan’s deteriorating political and economic situation.
According to the statement issued after the committee’s conference in Islamabad, the forum recommended that President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lead negotiations on behalf of the government, while the opposition forms its own committee to initiate a structured dialogue process.
The declaration stated that political activities must be fully restored within the constitutional and legal framework and that all restrictions on political engagement should be lifted. It emphasized that democracy cannot function without a strong opposition, and called for the immediate appointment of opposition leaders in both the Senate and the National Assembly.
The committee further emphasized that both government and opposition must refrain from using the armed forces for political purposes or participating in negative propaganda against state institutions.
The participants strongly demanded the immediate release of all detained women political workers, including Bushra Bibi and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, and urged to give them proper medical treatment. It also urged the withdrawal of cases against political workers and the release of all political prisoners.
They further demanded an end to media censorship and the removal of restrictions on TV anchors, reaffirming that press freedom is essential to a healthy democracy. The forum expressed grave concern over the country’s deteriorating political, economic and security conditions and stressed the urgent need for political unity and national consensus.
It paid tribute to the sacrifices of the armed forces, police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism and offered prayers for the martyrs. The statement reaffirmed that the entire nation stands united for Pakistan’s sovereignty, defense, security and dignity of its institutions.
The NDC also proposed a detailed roadmap to restore political stability. It called for stopping unconstitutional practices, ensuring complete political freedom, holding transparent elections, respecting public mandate, strengthening institutions, stopping corruption and enforcing accountability.
It urged the government and the opposition to resolve differences through dialogue rather than confrontation, warning that political polarization was causing serious damage to national unity and governance.
The conference concluded that sustainable political stability can only be achieved through continuous dialogue and consensus building. It decided that the National Dialogue Committee would continue to play its role in facilitating negotiations at the national level in the highest interest of the country and its people.
Convened by former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, political figures, legal experts, journalists and civil society representatives attended. However, no representatives from PTI and Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan attended the gathering, drawing criticism from participants who expressed disappointment and stressed that both parties should have participated in the dialogue.
