Khurram Dastgir Says Political Parties Will Face ‘Countdown’ by October
ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former federal minister Khurram Dastgir Khan has said that all political parties will enter a “countdown” phase by October, while describing Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent remarks as his personal opinion.
Speaking on a television program, Khurram Dastgir said that if Mohsin Naqvi has a clear reform agenda in mind, it should be presented before the public and political parties for an open and transparent debate.
He added that the federal government’s top priority this year is the elimination of terrorism, and it intends to take decisive measures to improve the country’s security situation.
Commenting on political developments, Dastgir noted that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PML-N contested elections against each other in Gilgit-Baltistan, adding that heated election campaigns are natural but political leaders should maintain civility and avoid making baseless allegations.
Referring to the coalition between the two parties, he said that despite the PPP’s strong stance during the federal budget process, the alliance would continue under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari.
On the political situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Dastgir said it is up to the PPP to decide whether it wants to join the government or sit in opposition. He added that if the PPP chooses to become part of the government, the PML-N would welcome the decision.
Regarding allegations of election rigging in Azad Kashmir, he said the Election Commission is an independent institution and any claims of irregularities must be supported by evidence before an investigation can proceed. He added that the overall political picture would become clearer after the completion of the third phase of the elections on August 10.
Reiterating his earlier remarks, Khurram Dastgir said that by October all political parties would face a critical political phase and stressed that any proposed reforms should be openly debated rather than discussed through individual statements.
