ISLAMABAD     -    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday formed a committee for dialogue to address the ongoing political crisis.

The three-member committee in­cludes former premier Yousaf Raza Gillani, Federal Minister Syed Naveed Qamar and Advisor to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kai­ra will initially approach the allies in the coalition government to convince them for the national dialogue. “The committee will approach all parties in the coalition government to discuss the issue of dialogue among the politi­cal parties, including the PTI (Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf),” said a PPP statement.

Earlier, PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari had urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to hold talks with the PTI. He maintained that the nation cannot af­ford any odd situation. “I will request PM Shehbaz Sharif to hold talks with the opposition and set no conditions before they begin talks,” Asif Zardari had said while addressing the Conven­tion on the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the 1973 Constitution this week.

The PPP Co-Chairman also advised the opposition to call on Shehbaz Shar­if for talks as “he is the Prime Minister”. “We cannot afford any odd situation now. The PTI (Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf) is now approaching us for dialogue, but its chief wants such decisions which are in his favour,” he added. At the same event, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is also the Foreign Minister, said dialogue was the only way to steer the country out of constitutional and democratic crises. Bilawal said Pakistan paid many sacrifices for democracy. “(Former President) Ziaul Haq’s dictatorship shattered the base of the democracy in the country while former Prime Minis­ter Benazir Bhutto incepted the jour­ney of restoration of democracy and struggled for the restoration of consti­tution for thirty years,” he added.