Hard-earned reform opportunity must not be wasted : Ali Riaz

National Consensus Commission Vice Chairman, Professor Ali Riaz, said on Thursday that the hard-earned opportunity for reform, achieved through immense sacrifices, must not be wasted. He urged political parties to engage constructively to resolve nearly 20 core issues that remain unsettled.

“We have reached here (to reform dialogue) by overcoming immense repression and paying many lives. We are now at a stage of possibility that we never saw before. This is a chance we should waste,” he said while inaugurating the ninth day of the second-round reform talks at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

The discussion began at around 11:10am at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, with Professor Ali Riaz presiding over the session.

Referring to the first phase of the dialogue, he said there are still fundamental issues where there has been no agreement so far despite consensus on many matters. “Beyond those (points), there are about 20 major issues that we believe must be discussed and resolved—issues that we consider extremely important, even fundamental in some cases,” he said.

He said since these 20 matters deserve serious discussion, the consensus commission is trying to present those in this phase.

Mentioning the day’s agenda, Prof Riaz said three issues are set for discussions —presidential clemency, judicial decentralisation and emergency powers.

Commenting on the broader context of reform, Professor Ali Riaz said the country had lacked space for a genuine debate on reform over the past 53 years.

Leaders from around 30 political parties took part in the day’s dialogue, presenting their respective party positions on the proposed reforms.