The PML(N) had disdainfully rejected President Zardaris offer for a round table conference to formulate policies to resolve the grave issues facing the country. Mian Shahbaz Sharif has now called on the Prime Minister to invite all stakeholders, including political, army and judicial leadership, for the talks. The move comes in the wake of Gilanis statement on Sunday indicating his desire to bring all political parties to table to discuss economic and security challenges. Earlier, while making a policy statement in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister had said he was going to consult politicians, and military and civil bureaucracy to devise a common strategy to deal with the problems.
While the idea of evolving a consensus is again on the table, what remains to be settled is the format of a moot to deal with the issue. Many are likely to question the justification of the military and judiciary being also invited to the meeting. The PPP and PML(N) have been consistently underlining the need to strengthen the institutions. Both agree on the Parliament being supreme in matters of policy making. While inputs can be received from all the relevant quarters, including army, judiciary and even academia, solutions have to be hammered out by the political parties themselves and taken to the Parliament for approval. The consensus reached on the NFC Award and on 18th and 19th amendments is enough to prove that the political parties are capable of resolving knotty issues. Why cant they resolve other major issues like economy and law and order? The Parliament and its committees can receive inputs from the ISI and army. The army can also present its views in the meeting of the Cabinets Defence Committee. A similar way can be adopted to get inputs from the judiciary also.
The problem with the federal government is that over the last three years it has continued to yield its turf to other institutions. Had it relied on the Parliament for policy making instead of taking decisions on its own and then going back on them under pressure, the situation would not have emerged. Again, if the PPP and PML(N) had not broken off the alliance, the government would have felt stronger. What is needed under the circumstances is to make use of the proper forums so that the institutions are strengthened.