Former Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (r) Naeem Lodhi’s proposal for political and institutional reconciliation, which aims to bridge the gap between the establishment and the PTI without explicitly naming any party, has been brought to the attention of military authorities.
Lodhi revealed to The News that he has yet to receive a response from military authorities regarding his reconciliation proposals. He clarified that he has not reached out to Imran Khan, other prominent figures in the PTI, or leaders of other political parties regarding this matter.
However, the retired general is in communication with individuals such as Syed Mushahid Hussain, Muhammad Ali Durrani, a former four-star general, a former air marshal, retired diplomats, bureaucrats, and select media personnel to foster collective efforts towards prompt political and institutional reconciliation. The formal participation of individuals in Gen Lodhi’s initiative has not been announced yet.
Lodhi advocates for an end to inflammatory rhetoric against institutions, cessation of political persecution, and granting the present government a minimum of two years to fulfill its mandate.
In a recent interview with The News, the retired general emphasized that despite initial resistance from involved parties, sincere groups and individuals should persevere for the country’s sake and the welfare of its impoverished citizens.
He proposed an extraordinary National Security Committee meeting, with invitations extended to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, leaders of major political parties, prominent media personalities, and business figures, among others, to deliberate on reconciliation.
Lt-Gen Lodhi’s demands include an immediate halt to all forms of provocative behavior and aggressive postures against rival political entities and institutions, cessation and reversal of political victimization, and ensuring the judiciary’s independence to expedite politically motivated trials and election-related appeals.
Additionally, he calls for refraining from employing police and district administration to intimidate political opponents, granting the current federal and provincial governments a peaceful two-year period until the end of 2025 to execute their agendas, and urging dissenting parties to peacefully accept the present governments during this interim period. Lodhi also advocates for peaceful expressions of dissent, such as wearing black armbands, and prohibits street protests or large-scale demonstrations for the specified two-year period, except for approved organizational gatherings.
While Lodhi has made his proposals public, he plans to initiate discussions with stakeholders only after finalizing the civil society group he is collaborating with.
May 3, 2024
Source: The News International