October 24, 2001	Wednesday	Shaba'an 6, 1422

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LAHORE, Oct 23: Drastic political reforms will be enforced to bar the corrupt and convicted politicians from contesting the general elections next year.

This was stated by Federal Minister for Local Government, Environment, Labour and Manpower Omar Asghar Khan on Tuesday. He was delivering a lecture on ‘challenges and opportunities in Pakistan’ at a business education college along Zafar Ali Road.

He said the politicians with criminal record and those sentenced by NAB courts would not be allowed to contest the elections.

He said that at present there was a vacuum which must be filled in by the new political leadership which should emerge from the people by discarding the old dynastic leadership. He said that there was great need for redefining and changing the structure of political parties. He said that most political parties had no definite structure nor do they hold elections of their office-bearers at regular intervals nor maintain their accounts nor were they accountable to the people for their actions.

He said that there should be some restriction on the number of terms of their holding party offices as at present they continue to hold the office for any number of times they like. He said that the political reforms being introduced by the government would take care of all such things.

The minister said that unfortunately the present Pakistan was not the one which the Quaid-i-Azam had visualized. The Quaid had categorically stated in his speech of Aug 11, 1947, at the first session of the Pakistan’s National Assembly that all people of the country, irrespective of their religion, caste or creed and gender, would have equal rights of citizenship and there would be no discrimination whatsoever.

This message of the Quaid had been forgotten. “We need not be apologetic to adhere to the Quaid’s values and his concept of Pakistan.”

He said that a small clique of political elements had raised so much hue and cry against the Quaid’s concept of Pakistan that “we have been put on the defensive.”

He said that there was need to rehabilitate the Quaid’s values and concepts of democracy and state.

He said that in addition to the political reforms there was great need for reviving the civil society in the country. He said that civil society and the private sector had always played an important role in the progress and development of any country.

He said that in Iran despite the odd political circumstances civil society and the private sector had continued their constructive activities unlike in Pakistan where they had been controlled by the bureaucracy.

He said that Pakistan had been endowed by God with best natural resources and there was great potential for progress if these natural resources were fully exploited for the benefit of the people.

He said that the government had plans to get rid the country of the IMF’s hold within next three years by boosting the exports by 100 per cent. He said that while a small country like Singapore could have an export trade of $80 billion why was it not possible to double the Pakistan’ exports of $10 billion.

Omar Asghar Khan said that the government was determined not to allow the religious parties or any one to use religion for spreading violence and causing disturbances in the country.

The government would deal sternly with all such religious parties and the people who would use religion for their vested political interests.

The government had already drawn up plans for reforming the deeni madressahs where the students had been given the lesson in intolerance. He said that according to the plan reforms would be brought in consultation with the managements of the madressahs in their syllabus and methods of teaching etc.

He said that a culture of tolerance was the need of the hour which must be developed in the younger generation.

Referring to the reports of strained relationship between the newly-elected Nazims and the district coordination officers (former deputy commissioners) the local government minister said that there were varied versions. He had visited 12 districts where he found good relationship between the Nazims and the DCOs while in some other districts it was not so good.

However, things would improve with time as the local government law had already provided a system of checks and balance. The government would be appointing district ombudsmen soon to look into the complaints of the people and improve the relations between the elected representatives of the people and the bureaucracy.

The government would ensure that no Nazim uses his office for his political purpose. Public safety commissions would be constituted in each district with half of its members to be taken from elected people and the remaining would be the government representatives.

Asked whether the devolution plan would be continued by future governments, he said that there should be consistency in all plans which were in the national interest and it was possible only if the people wanted these plans to continue. A culture of consistency must be developed. He was confident that about 150,000 elected councillors would exert their influence upon the next governments to continue the system.

About fixing the voters age at 18 years for the general elections as was done in case of local councils elections, he said that it was the desire of the government.