KARACHI, Aug 8: Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s founder and leader Altaf Hussain has said that feudal system is a great hurdle in the progress and prosperity of the country and nation.

MQM chief, in his lecture on the philosophy of “realism and practicalism” on Friday, said that unfortunately, in Pakistan, since its inception in 1947, feudal system was still in vogue, which was considered a big impediment to the progress of the country.

The lecture, which was arranged at a local hotel, was largely attended by cross section of people, including intellectuals, writers, educationists, journalists, poets, business representatives and ministers. Seated on the rostrum were Mr Aftab Shaikh, Shaikh Liaquat Hussain, Ms Nasreen jalil and Shoaib Bokhari.

Responding to questions he reiterated that democracy would flourish and the country would be put to the road to development if the failed feudal system was abolished.

Referring to the constitutional history of Pakistan, which included 1956, 1962 and 1973 constitutions, he said that even the 1973 Constitution, which was the consensus constitution, could not save its creator Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and other elected prime ministers, including the government of Nawaz Sharif, who enjoyed two-third majority in the parliament.

Referring to article 6 of the Constitution, which declared abrogation of the constitution as high treason with death penalty, he said that this article was never applied by the successive democratic governments. Even Benazir Bhutto, who twice came to power failed to prosecute Gen Ziaul Haque for abrogation of the Constitution.

He said until the causes were removed, merely good intentions and formulation of good constitutions could not help.

Holding high-ranking officials of the army and the feudal politicians responsible for derailment of democracy, the MQM chief said that it was the constitutional obligation of the army to implement the consensus decisions of the elected parliament. “Army’s work is to take dictations and not to give,” he emphasised.

Referring to cultural pluralism, he said that it was possible only in a country where equal opportunities and treatment was extended to all citizens including minorities. But in a country where there was no cultural pluralism, there would be disparity, discord, dispute, ‘ethno-linguistic particularism,’ which would go against the concept of one nation, and lead to discrimination and disintegration, he added.

Mr Hussain, advocating equal status for all provinces, said when East Pakistan had a majority with 56 per cent population, parity principle was imposed, but now Punjab was taking lion’s share from the national exchequer on the base of its population.

He said that Sindh’s share in the revenue was Rs620 billion, annually, which was 59.45 per cent of the total revenue generated in the country, but Sindh was reimbursed only 78 billion, which was just 23.13 per cent of the national exchequer as against Punjab, whose contribution to the revenue was only 21.55 per cent, but it was getting 78 per cent from the exchequer.

Mr Hussain said that despite huge contribution to the exchequer, Sindh was deprived of water and power and was being ruled by officials from Punjab.

To another question the MQM chief said that the people of all the provinces should be treated equally, calling it realism and ‘practicalism’, pleading for full provincial autonomy.

Earlier, highlighting the concept of his philosophy of realism and practicalism, Mr Hussain termed it a criterion for checking the righteousness, evilness, wrongness, truthfulness and falseness of every thing. This included, he said, philosophies, ideologies, theories, policies, concepts and old and new systems of governance.

Earlier, Deputy Convener of MQM’s Coordination Committee, Aftab Shaikh, introduced the subject.