KARACHI, Nov 20: Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that the elected governments have been transferred powers but not the authority which have always remained with the establishment.
The ANP chief made this observation while responding to questions of newsmen at ‘Meet the Press’ programme of Karachi Press Club on Sunday.
When asked if the real authority had never been transferred despite mandate from people why political parties like ANP had been participating in the elections and why political parties failed to launch any movement to get rid of the entrenched establishment in the corridor of powers, Mr Khan said that field could not be left open to the autocratic rulers. He said political parties had to fight out according to the ground realities so that public representatives could raise real issues in the parliament and highlight them for creating awareness in the masses.
As far as launching of any joint movement to restore true democracy in the country was concerned, he said that a stage would come when circumstances would compel all democratic forces in the opposition to unite on one platform, like in the case of Pakistan National Alliance, and launch a movement for restoration of a true democratic order in the country.
Asfandyar Wali said after partition most of the Muslim League leadership had occupied assembly seats without going through popular votes, there were many politicians who remained close to the establishment to land in the assemblies through their backing.
Regarding involvement of Nato forces in the relief operation, he said that he had been to the quake-hit areas soon after the earthquake on Oct 8 and witnessed that most of the roads were cleared by the Engineering Corps of Nato. Their helicopters were busy in rescue operation in most difficult terrain by shifting injured to the field hospitals and dropping relief goods where Pakistan army could not make it, he added. He had found Japanese, British and Cuban and other doctor’s side by side Pakistani doctors and paramedical staff busy in serving the suffering humanity.
He said still there were many parts in the quake-hit areas where even troops had no access for want of communication system. The road ahead of Naran was still close, he added.
In reply to a question, he said that in view of colossal losses of human life and their property it is not possible for anyone to asses its magnitude until one visits the area.
He accused the government agencies for not providing true information about losses of life and said according to a rough estimate the death toll could be beyond 150,000. Citing the example of Balakot, he said that all buildings had flatted to the ground and the figures so far given by the government about loss of life were equal to the population of one village only while there were hundreds of villages on the hills which had disappeared by falling in the rivers or under the debris of landslides.
Welcoming the outcome of donors’ conference, he said the relief distribution by the army would bring bad name to the institution as there were complaints about distribution of relief on the basis of their political affiliation.
Mr Khan paid tributes to the people and NGOs for remaining over and above party affiliations while contributing to the relief efforts.
He said a number of people from Karachi carried relief goods to the quake-stricken families. He said if the volunteers and NGOs had not moved immediately the toll of death could have been four times.
To ensure transparency in the distribution of relief goods, he underlined the need to involve local people by setting up rehabilitation committees at the district and union council levels and the relief distribution responsibilities be handed over to them instead of the army.
Earlier, KPC President Sabihuddin Ghausi welcomed the chief guest.
