HYDERABAD, Jan 9: The general council, Awami Tehrik, at a meeting held here on Wednesday, discussed the current political situation in Pakistan and the Indian war threats.

The chief organizer of the party, Syed Alam Shah, presided over the meeting.

The meeting also discussed the socio-economic and political challenges faced by the country in general and Sindh province in particular as well as the organizational matters of the party.

The council noted with satisfaction the prospect of de-escalation of tension between Pakistan and India and the desire of the people and governments of both the countries to live as peaceful neighbours.

The meeting was of the opinion that the people of both the countries wished to live in peace which was proved by the warmth and friendship shown to the visiting delegations of politicians, journalists, citizens and even retired armed forces‘ personnel by both the countries.

The council questioned the crucial decisions of the past such as 1965 and 1971 wars with India and the Afghan policy of 1980s which in the opinion of the council were planned and executed by the secret agencies without taking the people of Pakistan into confidence.

It observed that one war gave the agony of Tashkent while the other split the country into two whereas the Afghan Policy gave the people miseries and long-term sufferings of Kalashinkovs, violence and drugs.

The council demanded of the government to handover the foreign policy to professionals and political governments rather than the agencies.

It constituted a human rights committee which would coordinate and oversee the work of the party units and take effective measures to save the masses from the cruelty and high-handedness of the police.

The units would be provided training in law and procedure to handle the human rights work.

The committee also made an education committee to plan and oversee the ideological training of party cadre to promote cultural activities at unit level throughout Sindh to set up libraries, tuition and computer centres and to keep an eye on institutes of formal education like primary and secondary schools, colleges, technical and vocational centres.—Bureau