Politicos say status quo oblivious to people's real problems.

QUETTA -- 'Mavericks' from across the political spectrum on Saturday blamed all stakeholders, including political parties, the military establishment and the judiciary, for the problems faced by the masses and urged them to find a way out of the prevalent political and economic impasse in light of the Constitution, instead of focusing on a power struggle.

The event, titled 'National Dialogue on Re-imagining Pakistan' and organised by the Balochistan Peace Forum, was addressed by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Farhatullah Babar, Aslam and Lashkari Raisani, Khawaja Muhammad Hoti, as well as former finance minister Miftah Ismail, among others.

The speakers termed the current political system 'ill-equipped' to resolve the issues faced by the 230 million people of Pakistan, which was pushing the country toward economic and social crises.

Khaqan Abbasi said the gap between the public and the state was increasing since political parties were not interested in talking about issues faced by the public. According to the former prime minister, other countries were developing while the situation in Pakistan was deteriorating, as despite 'remaining in the government and the opposition, we failed to resolve our problems'.

Abbasi blames judiciary for failure to end disappearances; Raisani laments Islamabad's 'intervention' in provincial affairs

Mr Abbasi said the electoral system was rigged to keep the people's representative out of power and added that a person who had obtained 55,000 'bogus votes' was a member of parliament until Saturday. Speaking about the Senate elections, he said the individuals who manage to become members of the upper house after spending millions of rupees would have no interest to talk about the problems faced by the masses.

The issue of enforced disappearances was also brought up during the seminar. Mr Abbasi termed these disappearances a 'failure of the justice system', saying the courts did not play their due role in the recovery of missing persons. He said that despite terrorism, the justice system in various countries 'continues to do its work and decide who is guilty and who is innocent'.

'There is a need to give a chance to the Constitution for the resolution of the people's issues and protecting human rights,' Mr Abbasi said, adding that if there was a need for a new social contract, there should be dialogue on it.

Former Balochistan CM Aslam Raisani said Islamabad was not...