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| April 2, 2002 | Tuesday | Muharram 18,1423 |
JUI rejects referendum
LAHORE, April 1: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam has rejected the proposed referendum for it thinks that it will change the character of the constitution and make the presidency above the elected parliament.
“This will virtually turn the parliamentary system into presidential system,” said party chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman while briefing newsmen after a two-day meeting of the general council which elected party’s central office-bearers for the next three-year term.
The Maulana said Gen Musharraf was himself admitting that his policies were so wrong and unsubstantial that he needed to remain in power to force the next government continue them.
Answering a question about resisting the referendum campaign, he said the party would go to the Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal for adopting a joint strategy in this regard.
He said if the army did not abide by the constitution, how it could expect from the nation to do so. “So far small groups are demanding a new constitution. But, if big parties start to make this demand, the constitution will become controversial,” he said.
Talking about Gen Musharraf’s invitation for a meeting, he said the JUI had made up its opinion on it and would put the same before the MMA on Tuesday for a final decision. However, he said the JUI had some reservations about the meeting for it would not be useful in the presence of the hostilities existing between the party and the government for the last eight months.
Maulana Fazlur Rahman had been under house arrest during the last few months for opposing the government’s decision to support the allied forces in their attack on Afghanistan. The party claims that scores of its workers are still in the custody of the government.
The Maulana said Musharraf used to take decisions and then inviting politicians for meetings to give an impression that he was taking into confidence all segments of society. “He (Musharraf) should first create an atmosphere for the meeting,” he said.
Referring to the reported involvement of US agencies in the arrest of Pakistani citizens here, he said the country had lost its sovereignty as Americans were commanding local institutions. “What will be the future of the country (as a result of these policies)?” he said.
Favouring the return of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif into active politics, he said keeping some politicians out of the political process by force would result into a wrong tradition and wrong thinking. “Everybody in power will want that his opponents are kept out of contests even if he has to use the force,” he said. Answering a question about divide of democratic forces into political and religious ones, he alleged the government had tried to organize political forces against religious elements. However, the JUI had contacted almost all political parties and urged the MMA to work on the issue for saving the country from this division, he said. “As a result of this exercise, the situation has been stopped going from bad to worse.”
Saying the PPP had even gone ahead of the government in supporting US policies, the Maulana declared that his party wanted to have a contact with the PPP in one way or the other avoiding all acrimonies for this was the need of the time.
Answering a question about the ANP, he said he did not want to respond to “bitter behaviours” with bitterness. However, he regretted that those who had been terming others (religious elements) extremists, themselves exhibited an extremist attitude during the last few months.
About the delimitations, he said complaints were being received about it as the party was reviewing the whole exercise. He regretted that the Election Commission had never been able to check rigging in the past. However, it was the responsibility of the institution to plug all loopholes in this regard.
Saying he did not expect any good from the EC, he advised its authorities to restore the masses’ confidence into the body.
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