23 August 2004	Monday	06 Rajab 1425

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QUETTA, Aug 22: People's Party Parliamentarians Secretary-General Jehangir Badr said on Sunday that the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy had formed a committee to determine the quantum of autonomy for the provinces to resolve the issue permanently.

Speaking at the Hal-o-Ahwal programme of the press club, Mr Badr said the PPP would honour its commitment made with political parties to strengthen democracy and political institutions and protect the fundamental rights of the people.

In reply to a question, he said the common man of Punjab should not be held responsible for the policies made by army generals or bureaucrats.

He said it was the responsibility of the ARD and other democratic parties to join hands against the group that was creating disharmony among the federating units to continue corruption and usurp the political rights of people.

He said the PPP did not believe in imposition of decisions from above and it supported giving powers to the provinces. He said the party abided by the accord relating to the concurrent list made by its founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto with political parties when the 1973 Constitution was framed.

He said decisions on core issues, including the construction of the Kalabagh dam and the National Finance Commission award, should be taken with consensus to safeguard the interests of the provinces.

He said the rulers victimized the PPP's activists, including Asif Ali Zardari and Bismillah Khan Kakar, but the party took more votes than other groups in 2002. In reply to a question, he said no one supported a military operation in Balochistan but the issue of cantonments would be discussed in an ARD meeting.

Replying to another question, the PPP leader said the party believed in dialogue, whether it was initiated with political opponents or army generals. Speaking to party leaders and workers after they brought him in a procession to Sarawan House from the airport on Saturday, Mr Badr said the PPP leadership would not compromise with the anti-people rulers.

He alleged that the rulers had inducted 'so-called elected representatives' into the assemblies through the state machinery and bogus degrees to impose anti-people policies on the citizens and keep Ms Bhutto away from the masses.

He said ruling party members facing corruption charges had been freed while Asif Zardari and Bismillah Kakar had been victimized because they refused to strike a deal with the rulers at the cost of their party.

Mr Badr alleged that the government rigged the by-elections in Attock and Tharparkar on a large scale to ensure the victory of Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. He said three party workers were killed and a large number arrested to keep them away from the polls.