Political parties must strengthen democratic traditions through dialogue: Khawaja Muhammad Asif

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jun, 2026) Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday urged all political forces to focus on strengthening institutions and fostering a democratic culture based on tolerance, dialogue, and mutual respect.

Speaking in the National Assembly, he called on political parties to acknowledge past mistakes and work collectively to strengthen democratic traditions and parliamentary institutions.

He urged political forces to learn from their past mistakes rather than repeatedly revisiting old political disputes.

He stressed that if reforms were needed to improve democratic practices, political parties should discuss them and implement the necessary changes.

The minister recalled that major political parties had signed the Charter of Democracy (CoD), aimed at ending political confrontation and promoting democratic continuity.

He said those efforts led to important constitutional developments, including reforms that strengthened the parliamentary system, although further improvements were still required.

Referring to recent contacts between the government and the opposition, Khawaja Asif said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other government leaders had reached out to opposition figures to maintain political engagement and dialogue.

He remarked that such interactions reflected a healthier democratic environment.

Criticising the political culture introduced during the tenure of the PTI founder, Khawaja Asif said parliamentary civility and political relationships had suffered in recent years.

He recalled that lawmakers from different parties previously maintained cordial relations despite political differences and frequently interacted both inside and outside Parliament.

He alleged that constitutional values and democratic traditions had been weakened and that no individual had caused greater damage to parliamentary politics and democratic norms than the PTI founder.

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The defence minister also spoke about Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, expressing personal respect for him and his family.

Khawaja Asif maintained that no political party, whether the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) or the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), could function effectively without internal consultation and democratic processes.

The minister paid tribute to the people of Kashmir and Pakistan for their sacrifices for the Kashmir cause, saying that no individual had the right to undermine the freedom struggle or speak against Pakistan's integrity.

He said the people of Kashmir had rendered immense sacrifices since 1947.

He recalled that thousands of Kashmiris migrated during the Partition period, enduring tremendous hardships, loss of life, and displacement, while many families remained separated and unaccounted for to this day.

He said the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) had continued their struggle for the past 78 years, offering countless sacrifices and martyrdoms to express their commitment and affection for Pakistan.

He maintained that the Kashmiri identity and struggle were rooted in sacrifice, migration, and a long history of resistance.

Khawaja Asif said freedom could not be fully understood by those who had not endured sacrifices for it, adding that the bond between Pakistan and Kashmir was based on shared struggles and mutual commitment.

The defence minister said that personnel from all four provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, continued to guard the Line of Control in support of the Kashmiri people.

He added that Pakistan had fought multiple wars over the Kashmir issue and made significant sacrifices for the cause.

APP/tsw-man-zah