Durrani proposes national unity govt

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Muhammad Ali Durrani has proposed that the heads of major political parties should pave the way for forming a national unity government by stepping aside from the prime ministerial race.

“Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and Imran Khan should not aspire to become prime minister and instead play their role in the formation of a national unity government in the country,” Durrani said while talking to The News on Saturday. He said the PMLN, PPP and PTI leaders should put forth their candidates for the position of prime minister. He quoted examples from Britain, Ireland and South Africa where national unity governments were formed while being within the parliamentary structure to steer the country out of crises. He welcomed Zardari’s recent statement endorsing a national unity government and said leaders of other parties should also demonstrate the same mindset. He said the establishment of a national unity government after general elections would reshape the political landscape and governance model in the country where incompetence and dynastic politics were among the major stumbling blocks to progress and prosperity. “A national unity government established through free, fair and transparent elections will strengthen the economy by ensuring stability and ending civil-military discord,” he said and asserted that the formation of a national unity government by political parties would put an end to the policy of ‘selection’ in the country.

Responding to a question, the former federal minister said Zardari disavowed the practice of dynastic politics in a recent interview. According to him, political parties such as the PPP and PMLN cannot sustain the continuation of this practice. He said the time had come for new entrants into politics to end the selection and dynastic politics.