Grand political Jirga needed to end stalemate in Pakistan: Sen. Durrani

There are growing concerns of a lingering stalemate in Pakistan in the backdrop of an ongoing tussle between the government and the judiciary. Different proposals are being given to end the crisis.
Former Federal Minister for Information and member of Upper House Senate, Muhammad Ali Durrani proposes a Grand Jirga of respectable elders to end the crisis by using their influence upon the institutions.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Durrani said that a “Grand Jirga is needed so that all the institutions accept their proposal to end the persisting stalemate.”
He said that due to the confrontation between the institutions, both judiciary and democracy are badly damaged, gradually losing confidence among the masses.
“All the organs of the state are malfunctioning, thus creating an environment of mistrust and creating a possibility and acceptability of a disaster,” Durrani said replying to a question on rumors of a military takeover.
Like rest of the politicians, Durrani also believes that confrontation has made the masses to suffer and that their real issues are being subsided. “They are also losing confidence in the institutions,” he said.
Durrani is close to former Premier Nawaz Shairf whose party PML-N has confirmed that it will let the present government complete its tenure till March next year. “But I don’t see any early elections despite an increasing demand among the masses,” Durrani pleaded.
He said President Asif Ali Zardari-led PPP government violated the decision of the Parliament by not allowing the restoration of the NATO supplies without a black and white agreement with the US. “The public has many doubts about the restoration and if the government intends to remove these doubts they must sign the deal and make it public,” he said.
Durrani said relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are strong, cemented with the bond of Islamic brotherhood.
“King Abdullah has always been held in high esteem in Pakistan. That’s why we love him so much; we always pray for his health and prosperity of the Kingdom,” he said.