The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's refusal to engage with the opposition political parties in matters of national importance, particularly on issues pertaining to the economy, is damaging core national interests.

This was the consensus of a survey of opposition leaders carried out by Business Recorder. In background discussions with parliamentarians from various political parties, the government's refusal to engage with other parties was cited as the major hindrance in pulling the country out of the prevailing challenges.

Prime Minister Imran Khan's focus is to go after his political opponents under the guise of accountability instead of addressing the real issues such as skyrocketing price hike and bringing the economy back on track.

"The prime minister should restrain his ego and engage with all the political parties including the opposition to achieve economic stability and to give relief to the common man," said Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio, senior leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

For this, he added, the need of the hour was to agree on a "charter of economy" to deal with the worst economic crisis this country had been facing.

"It is the responsibility of the government to take the lead and engage with all the political forces on issues of national importance. A parliamentary debate is needed to find a solution to the real issues," he said.

"The problem is that Prime Minister Imran Khan is not ready to approach the opposition and instead continues the policy of victimization of his opponents," he said, adding that the PTI's coalition partners were also complaining that they had not been taken into confidence on different issues.

Chandio maintained that the government's continued "stubbornness" was damaging core national interest, adding that there were apprehensions that the country might be moving towards an even greater crisis if the government continued its focus on victimization and not on real issues.

Chandio pointed out that the previous two governments -- PPP from 2008-13 and PML-N from 2013-18 -- kept engaging the opposition and taking them into confidence on various issues of national importance for the sake of the country's interest and strengthening of parliamentary democracy.

PML-N senior leader Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that the PTI had failed to resolve economic and social crises prevailing in the country due to its "incompetence" and lack of interest in engaging with the political parties and through parliament to deal with the challenges.

"The government lacks the ability to unite the country -- the need of the hour, and its policy is to create division and do whatever it can to victimize its opponents...There is a need for a charter to rid the country of uncertainty and unrest which is resulting in rising inflation, price hike and unemployment," he added.

He maintained that the PTI government had destroyed the economy of the country and its economic team lacked the capability to handle the economic challenges.

He also stated that a national response was necessary to deal with the coronavirus which was alarming the public. "It is the sprit of the democracy to engage all on the issues of national importance by taking parliament into confidence, but it is the government that has to take the initiative," he asserted.