December 13, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 8, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The participants of roundtable conference here on Thursday opposed the Legal Framework Order (LFO), NSC, and urged the democratic forces to join hands for establishing the rule of law.

The roundtable conference on “New Democratic Realities What Next? was organized jointly by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and Centre of Civic Education-Pakistan by at a local hotel.

At the concluding session on Thursday the speakers urged the political parties to sit together and prepare their position paper on current situation, besides opposing the so-called “doctrines of necessity”.

The citizens asked the coalition partners to make public their agreements so that they can know what their governments stand for?

The other recommendations included preparation of a white paper on the role of agencies in politics. “Vibrant and dynamic political parties are the need of hour to articulate citizens’ concerns and they must meet the challenge of the hour”, opined many participants.

Majority of them opposed the LFO and the NSC and exhorted the need of independent judiciary, constitutional court, besides making the method of the selection of judges transparent.

They also stressed the need for an independent election commission.

Earlier during the session on “New Civil-Military Relations”, presided over by former naval chief, Admiral Fasih Bokhari the speakers examined the role of military and there appeared a consensus that military should not interfere in the political sphere.

Pakistan Muslim League-N senior vice president Akram Zaki said unless the question of peace in South Asia was solved the ‘over- empowered military’ would continue to enjoy major say at the cost of a genuine civilian rule.

Sanaullah Baloch of Balochistan National Party criticized the dominance of one province in the army and its anti-democracy role.

Lt-Gen Talat Masood (retired) asked the political forces to occupy what so ever civic space was available and restructure the governance.

Dr Tariq Rehman, Kunwar Khalid Yunus of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Farid Piracha of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal stressed the need for taking stand against increasing militarization of the state and society.

Fauzia Wahab of Pakistan People’s Party said “we need to rewrite our textbooks as today they demonize politicians and project military as the sole hero”. She demanded teaching of democracy at the Military Academy.

In the session about the “Democratic Future of Pakistan”, presided over by Dr Samina Ahmed of International Crisis Group, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari (PPP), M.P. Bhandhara (PML-Q), Dr Doneya Aziz (PML-Q), Bilqees Saif (MMA), academician Dr Muhammad Waseem and human rights activist, Asma Jahangir shared their views.