KARACHI: ARD rejects LFO as unconstitutional, immoral
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, June 6: The Sindh chapter of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), has termed the LFO a threat to the federation and rejected it as unconstitutional, undemocratic and immoral.
This is what said one of the several resolutions that were released by the ARD to the press on Friday. The Sindh chapter of the alliance had met here on Thursday to review the prevailing political situation and had blamed the government for sabotaging the process of negotiations on the LFO and other issues.
Its leaders were of the view that LFO was aimed at perpetuating one man’s rule by winding up the parliamentary system of governance. It stated that LFO also usurped the basic human rights, besides social and democratic rights.
It also rejected the IRO 2002 — a part of the LFO — as anti-worker and reflective of the government’s real motives. Taking exception to the regime’s measures to gag the voice of dissent, the ARD through another resolution deplored the strong-arms tactics used in Punjab against opposition members of the provincial assembly.
It warned of grave consequences if the measures were replicated elsewhere and demanded the resignations of Punjab’s chief minister and speaker of the provincial assembly for mistreating elected representatives.
It deplored the reported excesses against the journalists and demanded a high level inquiry. The meeting also deplored the demolition of Mohajir Qaumi Movement’s headquarters — Baitul Hamza. It maintained that the step was part of the government’s policy of manipulating the results of a bye-election.
The ARD also expressed concern over deteriorating law and order situation, dacoities, kidnapping and murders. It also expressed concern over a report that a provincial adviser had sought release of some “dangerous elements”, alongwith their weapons, from police stations.
The meeting demanded that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif be allowed to return home and Asif Zardari and Yunus Khan be released immediately alongwith others who were facing “baseless” charges.
The meeting also deplored rampant loadshedding, rising cost of utility bills and demanded that tariff should be brought down and action should be taken against those who harassed the people through inflated and wrong billing.
The meeting also deplored the shortage of water in Karachi and interior of Sindh and termed it a conspiracy against the people of Sindh.
The meeting adopted resolutions slamming the apathy of the provincial and federal governments towards some unanimously adopted resolutions in the Sindh Assembly through which Greater Thal canal project was rejected. It also deplored the institution of “fake” cases against the general secretary of the PPP, Ghotki, Mohammad Lateef Shah.
The meeting made it clear that opposition was in favour of resolving all issues through dialogue, both inside and outside the assembly, but could not succumb to the government’s pressure and strong-arm tactics.
One of the resolutions adopted reflected the consensus that the government was not tolerant of the opposition and was trying to prolong its rule, which had allegedly been imposed on the people by removing an elected government on Oct 12, 1999.
The ARD meeting resolved to continue the struggle for the supremacy of the 1973 Constitution. The meeting also demanded action against government officials for their alleged negligence, owing to which several people had died in the Keenjhar Lake tragedy.
