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| June 29, 2006 | Thursday | Jumadi-ul-Sani 2, 1427 |
Leaders say charter to promote democracy
ISLAMABAD, June 28: Leaders of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML- N) on Wednesday expressed the hope that the Charter of Democracy, signed by the two parties, would go a long way in promoting democratic norms in the society and bring people’s raj in the country in true sense.
Speaking at a dialogue on “Charter of Democracy: What does it offer to people” organised by the Aurat Foundation, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani and PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal made it clear that the Charter of Democracy was neither an election manifesto nor an announcement of the merger of the two parties.
They said the PPP and the PML-N were two different political parties as the two parties had different viewpoints on important national issues and they would maintain their independent identities.
Mr Rabbani, who is also the opposition leader in the Senate, said politics in Pakistan had been in chaotic state since 1947 due to undefined civil-military equation. He said today the nation was witnessing the biggest militarisation of the society as one could see serving or retired military men on every posts and in every institution. He said the time had come for them to either completely surrender to the army and ask the generals to rule the country completely or to launch a decisive struggle for the rule of people and supremacy of Constitution.
Mr Rabbani said they were open for a dialogue and wanted to take along the civil society with them in the implementation of the Charter of Democracy. He said the PPP governments in the past had taken many steps for the betterment of women. He said the PPP wanted to increase women seats and reserve their seats in the Senate but it did not have two-third majority at that time.
Mr Rabbani dispelled the impression that the charter was only based on army-bashing. He said the charter had outlined the army’s role as defined in the Constitution. He said the charter would help the army improve its image.
He admitted that the political parties had become a tool in the hands of the civil-military bureaucracy. He, however, said that the other political parties and institutions should also have a moral courage to admit the fact that they had also been used by the civil-military bureaucracy.
Responding to a question, Mr Rabbani said Article 6 dealing with the punishment to the abrogators of the constitution could not be implemented as political parties and the civil society were not so strong.
PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said martial laws had made the democratic institutions hollow. He said the time had come for the people of Pakistan whether the country should be run by their elected representatives or by the paid government employees.
Mr Iqbal said the people should become defender and guarantor of the Constitution. He said it was good to see that civil society organisations were taking keen interest in the charter, signed by the PPP and the PML-N. He said it would be the same civil society which would hold the political parties accountable if they violated the charter.
Mr Iqbal regretted that in the last over 50 years, Pakistan was ruled for 31 years by four generals while there had been 20 prime ministers in as many years of so-called civilian rules. “We want to disarm army from politics and want to equip the people of Pakistan with democracy,” he added.
He claimed that no martial law was imposed in the country due to political crisis and it was political ambitions which brought army to power. He said it was up to the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission to decide about the fate of those who had abrogated the Constitution.
The PML-N leader said despite the fact that the opposition parties were against the 17th Amendment, the PPP and the PML-N had decided to retain some of its clauses like increase in women seats and joint electorate system as it believed that it was in the interest of the country. He said it was due to the 17th Amendment that they saw Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz sitting with Gen Pervez Musharraf like an idol in important meetings.
Anis Haroon of the Aurat Foundation regretted that the political parties had never given importance to the women issues in Pakistan.
She said the present representation of women in the parliament and local body institutions was due to the struggle of the civil society organisations.
Naeem Mirza of the Aurat Foundation said there should be no role of military in democracy and politics. He welcomed the signing of the charter by the two major political parties of the country.
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