Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid and others say constitutional supremacy and political stability must come before economic reforms.
Image: DAWN
Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s proposal for a “Charter of Economy” and instead called for a broader “Charter of Pakistan”.
In a letter sent through their lawyer, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and Omar Sarfraz Cheema argued that economic reforms cannot succeed without constitutional supremacy and political stability.
They said that “economic stability cannot be achieved without political stability” and questioned the value of economic agreements when the Constitution is not fully implemented.
The leaders said Pakistan first needs agreement on the “supremacy of the Constitution”, respect for electoral mandates, an end to political engineering, and accountability across institutions.
They added that lasting development is only possible when political rules are clearly defined, arguing that economic progress follows political stability rather than the other way around.
The PTI leaders urged the government to initiate a national dialogue on a “Charter of Pakistan” instead of focusing only on economic arrangements.
