KARACHI: Leaders discuss lack of political stability
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 26: State of the political system and successive governments’ failure to bring political stability in the country, as well as role the armed forces in this regard, were discussed by senior politicians and leaders of opinion at a seminar held here on Thursday.
The seminar, titled Why is the political system dysfunctional in Pakistan was organized by the Karachi Women’s Peace Committee. Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, a Jamaat-i-Islami and MMA leader, said that even after 57 years of its birth, Pakistan could not gain political stability. He held the older generation fully responsible for the situation.
He observed that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto enjoyed the required majority in the parliament and succeeded in getting a consensus constitution passed in 1973, but the constitution could never be implemented in letter and spirit. In this context, he referred to the imposition of emergency and numerous amendments made to the constitution soon after it came into effect.
Criticizing Gen Zia for imposing Martial Law in 1977, he said the military intervention was uncalled for as the government and the opposition PNA were about to sing an agreement. He accepted that at least two PNA component parties one led by Khan Abdul Wali Khan and the other by Asghar Khan were not interested in the agreement and wanted the army to take over the country and hold free and fair elections.
A former Sindh governor Lt-Gen (r) Moinuddin Haider said that in principle, he opposed military intervention as army was neither competent to handle political affairs nor was it authorized to play a political role. However, he added, it was pertinent for the armed forces to intervene if very necessary but only to hold free and fair elections and ensure fair transition of power. The armed forces must move back to their barracks as soon as possible, he stressed.
Former governor of West Pakistan Yusuf A. Haroon urged political parties to refrain from labelling their opponents as ‘traitors’. They, rather, should work together to strengthen the country’s political system.
“People lose faith in a political party which forms alliance with the party it had in the past been accusing of treason. This eventually weakens the system,” he observed.
Mr Haroon was of the view that many entries/events of Pakistan’s history were narrated inaccurately in the textbooks. He stressed the need for correcting the errors so that the young generation could get a true picture of Pakistan Movement and the events and developments that had taken place after the Partition.
PPP MNA Fauzia Wahab said that the constitution, the most important document in a democratic system, had never been given the respect it deserved. She called for initiating appropriate action against all those who had resorted to violating the constitution.
She observed that politicians had been degraded systematically by the vested interests.
MQM MNA Kanwar Khalid Yunus said that present set-up should be allowed to complete its tenure so that the results of its policies could emerge fully. He said that President Pervez Musharraf’s plans and guidance would sure bring prosperity to the common man as the policies being implemented were bound to improving the economy.
Nargis Rehman, Humaira Dar, Haroon Faisal, Shahida Perveen, Ubaid-ur-Rehman and others also spoke at the seminar.
