The PPP’s suggestion that political parties develop a code of conduct based on a minimal political agenda in order to discuss at least the most fundamental issues makes sense. PPP chairperson and Foreign Minister Bilawal said at the inauguration ceremony of the golden jubilee celebrations of the 1973 constitution that the PPP’s central executive committee has decided to form a committee and assign it the task of developing consensus among stakeholders on devising a code of conduct for resolving all issues and moving forward.
He also criticised Imran Khan and the PTI for their unwillingness and rigidity, saying it hampered talks between all political parties. According to political observers, while some PTI leaders may be open to talks with the PDM government, hawkish elements within the party as well as Imran Khan himself are not.
Over the last decade, we have seen political parties use language that is not only unparliamentary but also derogatory towards one another. The culture of filing political cases against opponents has also returned to haunt Pakistan’s political landscape. It’s not just that we’re revisiting 1990s politics; things have gotten much worse. The 1990s were not blessed with a 24-hour news cycle or ubiquitous social media.
In the absence of social media and political talk shows, many of the heinous comments were not reported and repeated ad nauseam, as we now see on our news feeds. What we are seeing now is something we have never seen before: the violent language that sometimes translates into actual violence and impolite behavior. Before things get out of hand, all political parties should sign a new Charter of Democracy, or a code of conduct, or whatever they want to call it, so that political party supporters understand the difference between political rivalry and personal enmity and that having opposing ideologies is not a matter of life and death.
At a time when Pakistan is facing unprecedented challenges, it is critical that all political parties sit down and devise a mechanism prior to the general election this year. There is enough bad blood between the PDM government and the PTI, but it has not reached a tipping point.
And, before it gets to that point, our politicians should ensure that all parties come together at the negotiating table to create a new code for political parties so that they can conduct business without going into complete isolation and then tweeting jibes against other political parties in a childish display of petulance and a lack of interest in national welfare. No matter how deep ideological or other differences exist, some effort must be made to collaborate.
Aside from the PPP’s efforts, the prime minister should announce a final date for the All Parties Conference (APC), which was scheduled for February 7 but has now been postponed twice. PM Shehbaz Sharif should not delay any longer and should send a proper invitation to PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his party members so that the PTI has no excuse to turn down the offer again.
