Ali Riaz confident of swift national consensus through dialogue

The commission has so far received opinions from 15 political parties

National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz has expressed hope that a national consensus could be reached in a short time through discussions with all political parties.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with Khelafat Majlis, an Islamist political party, at the LD Hall of the National Parliament on Saturday, he said: “You [Khelafat Majlis] have agreed on many points, and on some issues, you have different opinions. We will listen to your views."

“We believe that through discussions, we will be able to establish a national consensus. As part of this process, you [political parties] are coming forward. We have started work within a very short time.

He continued: “We could not give you more time, but we will begin discussions based on the sincere opinions you have shared.”

At the beginning of the meeting, Riaz thanked everyone on behalf of the commission and Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

Following the July-August 2024 mass uprising, the interim government led by Yunus formed 11 reform commissions to restructure the state.

Among them, six commissions on the constitution, electoral system, judiciary, public administration, Anti-Corruption Commission, and police reforms have already submitted their reports with recommendations.

The Consensus Commission had asked 38 political parties to provide feedback on the key recommendations by Mar 13.

However, half of them are yet to respond.

The National Consensus Commission began discussions with political parties on Thursday to create national consensus on reforms.

The first meeting was held with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).