All must come together for the sake of Pakistan was the message of Pakistan’s Ulema as they sat together in the convention convened by the country’s Ulema Council. The political vengeance and political differences, turned into person­al feuds, are clouding the judgement of even the most balanced and sane voices of Pakistani politics. To add fuel to the fire, what has ensued after the February 8 polls is making it worse. In a cli­mate charged with emotions, all the major political parties are becoming forgetful of the core purpose that defines their politics – the safety, security, integrity, and progress of Pakistan.

The coming together of Ulema is a sign of hope that they ac­knowledge the divide that is stealing the space of constructive na­tional dialogue. Calling for a “Pakistan Accord” that dictates peace for the next twenty-five years, irrespective of which political party rules, is a pragmatic way to move forward. However, the Ulemas’ emphasis that institutions, especially the Election Commission and the honourable judiciary, must be impartial reminds us of the con­fines in which institutions must operate. Likewise, their empha­sis that all political stakeholders to turn to the Constitution and law for the concerns they have regarding fraudulent polls is an es­sential reminder that there is no other way to usurp power and no one, irrespective of how popular they are, should think of trespass­ing the lines laid down by the Supreme Law of the state.

For an economy that has suffered the most at the behest of po­litical discontinuations, an accord that binds together all stake­holders by their will for the next twenty-five years can be a po­tential guarantor of stability and certainty. The urgent need for unity and cooperation is as evident as the light of the day. A cov­enant spreading over more than two decades, outlining the na­tion’s trajectory and enhancing the pivots around which people gather and unite, is a timely call from the Ulema of Pakistan.

No compromise on democratic principles, institutions to act fair­ly, politicians to step outside their peg holes of power lust, eco­nomic sustenance to be the national goal, and armed forces to fight security disruptors – an accord is indeed what the country needs.