29 November 2004	Monday	16 Shawwal 1425

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KARACHI, Nov 28: Politicians and intellectuals feared persisting military role and unnecessary interference in the political powers, manipulating Constitution for vested interests may damage the state sovereignty in future course as sentiments of the people are visible now.

"Army has been manipulating the Constitution since the day one. Imbalance of power started since the year 1971 when we lost the major part of the country," said Syed Fakhr Imam, former speaker national assembly and veteran politician here on Sunday.

He was addressing a seminar on "National Security and Constitution-Making in Pakistan" organized by a non-governmental forum - Dialogue Pakistan. Syed Fakhr Imam said that Rs390 million budget could not meet 'National Security' in the year 1971 and the similar trend was going on at present. "Now the time has come and we have yet to evolve political culture for the future," he said.

Mairaj Mohammed Khan said that the entire system in Pakistan was being operated on foreign aid and loans, which had been attracting civil and military dictatorships. "Irony is that Pakistan army could not take lesson from the separation of East Pakistan and it is still involved in manipulation of the Constitution," he said.

He urged political thinkers to consider on radical change to make new Constitution of the country, which may lead the democratic system, and the supremacy of the law. He further said that the parliament appeared powerless as all powers were with General Musharraf, who was authorized to decide economical agreement as well as enhancing relations with the world powers.

In her paper, Khairpur nazima Nafeesa Shah said that army was involved in by passing the barriers of the parliament, political parties and even the Constitution. She said: "Pakistan is involved in the War against Terror not for its own sake but for the world power. Our frontiers have become frontline of this war and now even our frontiers are not easy to administer," she added.

She further said that nationalism was increasing in the country because of uncertainty in small provinces over different national issues that were being neglected by the military rulers.

Irshad Abdul Kadir, founding member of the Dialogue Pakistan, said that since the power of the nation was held by the military, which was operating a monopolistic corporate interest within the structure of the state similar in scope to any other multinational corporation aspiring to a global power status, the non-military elitists must convince the military of the overriding benefits of constitutional correctness for securing its commitment to the cause.

He said that the constitution had been changed, chopped and adapted to accommodate any unconstitutional policy imperative for which the ruling entity, whether military or civil, had required it. Dr Adrian A. Husain, Hamida Khuhro, Sardar Sherbaz Mazari, Syeda Abida Husain and other veteran politicians and intellectuals also attended the seminar. -PPI