Will Opposition Listen to Dialogue Hints by Sheikh Rasheed?
In the past eight years, the sit-ins staged by different political parties even the ruling PTI for 126 days ended up with dialogues
WEB DESK: Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed has persistently emphasized the opposition to come on the dialogue table. He has said in his recent statements that the government was ready to hold talks with the opposition parties’ coalition, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
The frequent proposals by a senior federal minister signify that the doors of negotiations are still open despite escalating tensions and a series of recriminations between the opposition and government.
However, Sheikh Rasheed is insistent that the negotiations should be between the government and opposition, and not any ‘other’.
The federal minister has been known for its widespread roots in the country’s political structure and hints coming from his side must not be ignored by the opposition.
Is PML-N indecisive about dialogue?
Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) has taken a step back as it has come to the point that it is ready to negotiate with the establishment but without government.
Earlier, the party had refused to hold talks with anyone in PDM’s Gujranwala public gathering in October.
Read Also
Opposition’s Duplicity in The Time of Corona
In contrast, the other two prominent parties in PDM including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat-e-Ulema Fazl ( JUI-F) have shown flexibility in this regard and have not broadside establishment or specified any names like PML-N.
The results of the recent election in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) could be a response to the anti-state narrative PML-N had resorted to after PDM’s Gujranwala rally.
Recently, PML-N President Maryam Nawaz had also confessed in an interview to BBC that some members of her party were contacted for dialogues but she was not directly approached.
What’s the way out?
Before ending in a complete deadlock, the hints of negotiations from a senior minister like Sheikh Rasheed should not be lent a deaf ear by the PDM, particularly PML-N.
In reference to this, in the past eight years, the sit-ins staged by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), JUI-F, and even the ruling PTI for 126 days ended up with dialogues.
Therefore, other parties in PDM should push and persuade PML-N to opt for a midway to find an end to an ambiguous situation that is thus unfavorable for the country as a whole.
It should be instilled that in a democratic system, the matters are resolved on the table and no elsewhere.
