Peshawar   -  Experts here on Sunday said that political parties give strength to democracy and reconciliation was imperative for continuity of a democratic system on basis of free, fair and transparent elections.

As the country is moving towards general election, therefore it was necessary that all religious and political parties set aside their differences by sitting together for a transparent and free election to give legitimacy to the future political government and take democracy to safe shores.

“Pakistan is passing through a very difficult time since its existence and it is right time for all political parties including PDM and PTI to shun differences and unite for general elections,” Prof Dr A H Hilali, former Chairman, Political Science Department, University of Peshawar (UoP) while talking to APP.

Providing solutions to all political problems, he said democracy is a best form of government that not only guarantees supremacy of constitution and rule of law but also brings political and economic stability to a country.

He said that unfortunately, democracy couldn’t strengthen its roots in the country due to wrangling among political parties for power and levelling of corruption and rigging allegations against elected governments after elections, consequently, this popular system derailed four times in the past and no elected prime minister completed the five-year constitutional term.

Dr Hilali said instead of learning lesson from the country’s grim political history, the political parties again have started wrangling ahead of the general elections that not only increased people’s problems but made negative effects on economy and politics in the country.

He said Pakistan can’t afford political instability and economic chaos besides hate based politics, adding that May 9 vandalism showed political intolerance and illogical approach to democratic values and norms.

Wajid Ali Khan, former KP minister for environment, said that ANP founder Bacha Khan and Abdul Wali Khan advocated for political reconciliation and unity of people.

He said those countries, which have evolved a stable, progressive, inclusive and tolerant political culture have attained all feats including economic prosperity, civilian supremacy and rule of law, institutional efficiency and balance of power.

He said a politically stable government that came into existence after free and transparent elections ensured sustainable economic development, national security and social harmony, transparency and capitalisation of resources, freedom of expression and pragmatic foreign policy besides taking bold decisions in national interest.

To achieve the key goals, he said that the 1973 Constitution empowered all political parties to serve their countrymen for five years after winning the election and implement its manifestos, adding that in democracies, people have the power to decide about the future of political parties through votes.

Ejaz Khan, former Chairman International Relations UoP, said that democracy, which is the process of political evolution, strengthened its roots after free and transparent elections following completion of five years term of the provincial and national assemblies.

He said political unity and dialogue was imperative among political parties ahead of general elections so that no one can raise finger on polls’ results.

He said that elections were fast approaching and urged all political parties including PDM and PTI to sit together and start a grand political dialogue to take the ship of democracy to safe shores.

Ikhtiar Wali Khan, PML-N KP spokesman, said his party strongly believed in political dialogue and time and again offered PTI chairman to come forward and sit with the government for a grand political dialogue to bring down the political temperature besides holding of simultaneous elections for national and provincial assemblies for political and economic stability.

However, the stubbornness of PTI leadership and bad relations with the opposition in Imran’s fouryear poor rule had created political and economic chaos in the country, he said.

He said PTI leadership had dissolved two elected assemblies after Imran Khan was ousted from power through a successful no confidence motion last year and tried to destabilise the system.

He said the Constitution cannot act on the whims of one person, who could violate it anytime, dissolve the two provincial assemblies prematurely whenever he wants, saying such a negative attitude was against the spirit of the constitution.

He said Imran has victimised the opposition leadership and put them in jails. He said that Imran’s cypher drama was completely flopped and exposed before masses now after reported statement of his former Principal Secretary Azam Khan.