Raja Nasir Abbas proposes national government for consensus

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Saturday proposed the formation of a national government to steer the country out of persistent difficulties and build a broader national consensus.

Speaking to a private television channel, he said the opposition had held talks with the ruling authorities, adding that Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai had also written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the prime minister expressed willingness for unconditional dialogue.

However, he noted that no meeting has yet taken place.

Abbas said the establishment of a national government was the best way to save Pakistan’s sinking ship. “Mahmood Khan Achakzai had told them that all parties should sit together and agree on a few points; we will then consult Imran Khan and together bring the country out of the crisis.”

He said the opposition had suggested that Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties meet to reach an agreement on constitutional supremacy.

This, he said, should include agreement that the people are the ultimate source of power, holding free and fair elections, devolution of power to the winner of the election, protection of fundamental rights, the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law.

Read: TTAP criticizes government policies, demands elections and medical attention for Imran Khan

Responding to a question about the government’s response, Abbas said both sides wanted to find a middle ground, adding that “this burden cannot be borne any longer”.

He said a party meeting had been called for Monday to decide the future course of action. “There is a straightforward way to solve this problem – a step through which the entire country can come out of the crisis unscathed,” he said, adding that the path suggested by Achakzai should be followed so that Imran could also be released and the country could move forward.

Achakzai, who is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, has for some time advocated the formation of a national government, calling it the only way forward.

Earlier this week, while addressing a public meeting in Pishin, he suggested that in view of the regional situation arising from the Iran-US-Israel conflict, all political parties in Pakistan should sit together to form a national government for one or two years to deal with the worsening situation.

Also read: Opposition bloc accepts conditional talks with government

He also suggested that after the formation of such a setup, an independent and sovereign electoral commission be established to conduct free and fair elections under international guarantees, stressing that true democracy, constitutional supremacy and parliamentary sovereignty were essential to resolve the country’s crises.

Relations between the opposition and the government have remained strained despite several attempts at negotiations in recent months.

Last month, the government extended a new offer for talks, with the prime minister’s aide Senator Rana Sanaullah declaring it was ready for dialogue to strengthen democracy and avoid confrontation and deadlock.

The opposition alliance responded positively but with conditions; however, no progress has been made since then.