KARACHI: Opposition plans ‘final showdown’ with govt: Popular support sought
By Shamim-ur-Rahman
KARACHI, June 25: Welcoming the Charter of Democracy signed by the chiefs of the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as a ‘significant milestone’, opposition leaders on Sunday slammed the military-backed establishment for discrediting the political leadership.
They urged people to be ready for a ‘final and decisive battle’ against military interventions to achieve their democratic rights.
This view emerged in a seminar on Charter of Democracy organised by the PPP and chaired by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani. Participants of the seminar also slammed the regime for launching military operations in Balochistan and North and South Waziristan and for denying rights to smaller provinces and usurping their resources.
Some of them also stressed the need for going beyond the CoD and forging a grand platform against anti-democratic and pro-military forces.
Mr Rabbani said that the CoD was a declaration of intent to ensure empowerment of the people and supremacy of the Constitution and parliament.
He referred to the prevailing political, economic and security situation, and termed it a grave danger for the country’s integrity. He warned that an attempt was being made by the establishment to ‘re-write the civil-military relationship’, and claimed that the CoD was manifestation of people’s rejection of such moves which were aimed at making them perpetual subjects of dictatorship.
He dispelled the argument that the CoD was a manifestation of PPP Chairperson Banazir Bhutto and PML(N) chief Mina Nawaz Sharif’s desire to come to power again. Recognising that due to malafide propaganda by the establishment, there had been erosion of peoples’ confidence and trust in the political parties, Mr Rabbani claimed that the CoD had become inevitable to make it clear that people were the bastion of power.
He severely criticised the economic policies of the present regime. While the Ayub regime led to concentration of the country’s wealth in 22 families, the present government was pursuing big business-friendly policies and propping up cartels and monopolies to turn Pakistan into a market for the multinationals, he claimed.
Mr Rabbani, who is co-author of the CoD, also lashed out at the government’s privatisation policy and alleged that the country’s strategic economic assets were being sold out to foreigners, undermining economic sovereignty of the people of Pakistan after bartering away their political sovereignty.
He claimed that the regime was now planning to privatise KPT and Port Qasim, and said it would be suicidal for the country which had already suffered on account of privatisation of PTCL, KESC, Habib Bank, etc. He said that it was necessary to unite and mobilise people on a common platform and the CoD was the answer. He believed that due to the government’s policies, class struggle had sharpened.
He said that privatisation of the Pakistan Steel Mills had exposed the hollowness of the regime’s claims about transparency, and maintained that the Supreme Court ruling in the case was significant. The SC, he said, had observed that the Council of Common Interest (CCI) had not been constituted, which was a violation of the Constitution. He said the people of Pakistan would like to know that who was the culprit of taking the hasty decision in a day.
Mr Ahsan Iqbal, central information secretary of the PML (N) and co-author of the CoD, challenged those who blamed politicians for corruption, and alleged that it was deliberately done to cover up ‘misdeeds’ of military rulers who kept the country under 31 years of martial law.
Naib Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, welcoming the document of intent, asked the signatories to clarify in their meeting in London next month that how would it be implemented, and if they contested elections separately, would they be able to achieve the required majority to bring about the required amendments. What would be the reaction of ARD and its component parties if the they contested elections separately? He asked them to explain their future conduct and relationship with each other and with other political parties.
National Party chief Hasil Bizenjo urged people to rise against the military-led establishment for ensuring democracy and the country’s integrity. He was of the view that unless masses were prepared for a final showdown, objectives of the CoD would remain a far cry and the nation would remain subservient to dictators for decades.
He urged the ARD, MMA and ANP legislators to resign if Gen Musharraf tried to get himself elected by the existing assemblies.
Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Senior Vice-President of the ANP, pledged support to the struggle for the restoration of democracy, but cited some misgivings over past experiences.
He was of the view that in order to bring people to the street, Ms Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would have to return to Pakistan.
PPP Sindh chief Syed Qaim Ali Shah declared that the CoD would be made part of the Constitution at an appropriate time, and measures would be taken for improving the common man’s living conditions.
Nafees Siddiqui maintained that provincial autonomy and national question were different issues, and said that the CoD had resolved to address the issue of autonomy.
PML-N Sindh chief Salim Zia said there was no role for military in governance. “The country cannot afford a new Constitution at this point of time, and those opposing the two-nation theory and demanding a new Constitution are not patriotic citizens of Pakistan.”
Zahida Hina, Shah Mohammad Shah , Basharat Mirza and Waqar Mehdi also spoke.
