Political tension is apparent in country: Shah Mehmood Qureshi

LAHORE: There is tension in the political atmosphere of the country and political parties should understand each other’s points of view to ease it, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday.

Qureshi, who was addressing an All Parties Conference, said that not just the political atmosphere but the country’s institutions have also been affected.

Institutes are politicised and affected by nepotism, which is why they cannot perform efficiently, Qureshi added.

Qureshi added such corrupt practices in the country’s institutions are are holding it back from progressing. But, he said, there is also no transparent system to put an end to corruption.

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Moreover, Qureshi said, the democratic setup of the country is also threatened due to lack of tolerance. Democracy creates a balanced atmosphere, he said, but actions held under it are not trusted. 

While talking about elections and their results over which differences erupt time and again, the PTI leader said people always raised concerns over elections that have been held so far.

“Over 20 political parties have raised concerns over general elections of 2013,” he said. “There is a need to create an independent election commission that everyone can trust.”

While talking about the sit-ins in the country that have resulted in violence, Qureshi said a democratic setup allows peaceful protests. However, he added, when peaceful protests are hindered, incidents happen such as those that took place in Model Town in 2014.