December 30, 2002	Monday	Shawwal 25, 1423

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QUETTA, Dec 29: Establishment of a national army having representation of all nationalities and re-determination of the relations between military and the people according to the Constitution is the only way for building linkages between the military and the civilian sectors, speakers at a seminar said.

At the seminar, arranged by the Liberal Forum, Balochistan, the speakers said restoration of the 1973 Constitution, implementation of the rules for civil and military bureaucracy, promotion of tolerance and non-interference of army in political affairs could pave the way for a stable and developed country. They called for establishment of strong institutions and allowing democracy to flourish.

Balochistan National Movement Chairman Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch held military rule responsible for increasing poverty, backwardness, unemployment, migration of educated and skilled youth to other countries and other problems being faced by the country.

“Negative attitude of the military establishment crippled the society,” he said and added that the people were not ready to invest here and were shifting their resources abroad.

He said increasing unemployment was forcing the educated and skilled youth to leave the country.

He said the army had not allowed the democratic institutions to flourish and ousted all the elected governments when they tried to block its role in politics.

He said that in the absence of a strong parliament, free judiciary and press, no institution could play a role for check and balance.

The BNM leader said that without restoring the Constitution, upholding the supremacy of law, honouring the public mandate and democracy and restricting the army’s role in politics, the country could not become developed and stable.

He said the political workers and democratic forces should unite for developing a civil society in which the people could get their rights without any hurdle.

Jamhoori Watan Party Senior Vice-President Khuda-i-Noor strongly criticized the role of army and said politicians was not responsible for division of the country. He said the army generals had been held responsible for the creation of Bangladesh and the Hamudur Rehman Commission report had recommended that they should be tried. He said the military establishment had not allowed the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to punish them. He said the military governments had done more corruption than civilians. He said former navy chief Mansoorul Haq had looted billions of rupees and later deposited $60 million when a case was proved against him by the National Accountability Bureau while no corruption case of such an amount had been proven against any politician.

He said army’s continuous interference in the civilian affairs had weakened the democratic institutions.

Balochistan National Party (Mengal) Secretary-General Habib Jalib Baloch said the rulers had done great injustice with the smaller nationalities depriving them of their rights by not implementing the 1973 Constitution.

He said no government or institution had fulfilled its responsibilities for creating an atmosphere in which the democratic institutions could be promoted.

“The army is responsible for the prevailing situation in the country as it always openly interfered in the affairs of political institutions and parties,” he said.

BNP-M Information Secretary Sana Baloch, a former National Assembly member, said a bridge couldn’t be built between the military and civilian sectors until a national army having equal representation from all nationalities was established.

He said the army could not be considered national as Baloch, Sindhis and Pakhtoons had no representation in it.

He said the army’s corporate interest was the main cause of its involvement in politics. “Until the army’s corporate interests are not ceased, it will continue to create hurdles in the way of democracy,” he observed.

He said the prime minister was not given powers even to issue policy statement on any issue.

Balochistan National Congress President Dr Hakeem Baloch said the crises being faced by the country were a result of injustice with smaller nationalities as they were denied their rights and Punjab was given preference in all sectors. He said the army was dominated by Punjabis.

He said a tolerant society should be created, national institutions should be made stable and equal rights of the nationalities should be recognized.

BNM Secretary-General Dr Ishaq Baloch said the people’s mandate was not honoured during the last 55 years and the agencies had chosen the rulers. He said the confidence of the common man on the democratic institutions had been shattered and the political parties should play their role in reviving it.

Former governor of the province, Abdul Rahim Durrani, defended the army rule and claimed tat all major development projects and industrialization had been initiated under military governments. He said major development projects had been launched in the province during the last three years, which would benefit the people.

He alleged that the politicians were responsible for creating problems in the country, they had done nothing for the welfare of the masses and looted the national resources.

He said the politicians had patronized corruption and they were demanding the release of people convicted of corruption.

An official of the district management group, Dr Saqib Aziz, said the politicians had politicized the institutions.

He said the postings and transfers of the government employees should be carried out by the departments concerned.

He claimed that low wages were the main cause of corruption. He said the development projects should be launched on merit.