The Policy of Reconciliation Should Continue
By Naveed Khan
Pleasanton, CA
Mian Nawaz Sharif should pursue a policy of political reconciliation and avoid confrontation. It goes to the credit of the PPP that during its five-year term the party did not have any political prisoner in the country. It has set a healthy precedence.
Nawaz Sharif should initiate the process by pardoning former General Pervaiz Musharraf. I believe that the former military dictator should be forgiven and set free, first by the Sharif brothers and then by the judiciary headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
Finally, Mr Musharraf should seek forgiveness from the Bugti family and from the people of Balochistan, and they should, in turn, be gracious enough to forgive him for his mistakes.
I do not believe that vendetta, no matter how genuinely warranted it is, would do any good to the country. The PML-N government should keep the well-being of the people and integrity of the country as a top priority in making such decisions. Government energy should be conserved on resolving people's strivings related to infrastructure buildup, reducing corruption and countering the threat of militancy and extremism.
If PML-N could initiate a process of rapprochement with India, why should it not do so with its own people. It believe such a policy will have a salutary effect in many cities and provinces where ethnic and religious division is ripping the nation apart.
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