HYDERABAD, Feb 23: Sindh United Party convenor Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah has stressed the need for decentralisation of powers from the federation to the federating units and said that if the provinces are given autonomy, the federation will become strong.

He was speaking at the “Point of View" programme, organised by the Hyderabad Press Club in connection with its golden jubilee celebrations here on Friday.

When he was told that his party believed in federal parliamentary system whereas his grandfather late G. M. Syed was the exponent of independence of Sind, Mr Shah claimed there was no contradiction (between the two stances). He argued that G. M. Syed believed in a prosperous and enlightened Sindh with provincial autonomy which was also the manifesto of his party.

He agreed with a questioner that people of Sindh were losing faith in the politics of votes but added that it was due to the fact that the hitherto elected people used Sindh card to further their petty interests.

He said politics should not be left to feudal lords and Waderas but should be open for all and sundry, specially the middle and lower middle classes.

Mr Shah defended the support extended by his party to the Pakistan Muslim League candidate in the by-elections for PS-71 Kotri and said that the support was based on the principle of ‘give and take.’ He said in the local body elections, the PML had supported his candidates and also promised to support his party in the coming elections.

He said the People’s Party Parliamentarians had also approached him to seek his support for its candidate but it was not in a position to give any commitment.

He denied that his party enjoyed the support of the government and said in the by-elections, his party had supported the PML candidate and not the government.

Mr Shah did not rule out seat adjustment with the like-minded parties in the general elections on reciprocal basis.

He denied the allegations that his party had adopted the Sindh Qaumi Ittehad’s flag and said it was the flag of the Sindh United Party founded in 1936 by his grandfather, Sir Abdullah Haroon, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto and Allah Bux Soomro.

Answering a question about his talks with Jamshoro District Nazim Malik Asad Sikandar, he said initial talks had been held and if Mr Sikandar was interested in ‘give and take,’ future arrangements would be made with him.

Mr Shah said his party believed in decentralisation of powers and provincial autonomy within the framework of the federation. He said provincial autonomy had become a worldwide phenomenon and added it was for the first time in the 60-year old chequered history of Pakistan that the issue of provincial autonomy was being discussed even at government level.

Answering another question about federal parties, he said the parties from Sindh always talked about national issues on the floor of the assembly but never spoke on the problems confronting Sindh.

He said his party would focus on the provincial issues, specially the issue of provincial autonomy.

He said provincial autonomy was a matter of life and death for the people of smaller provinces and added before the inception of Pakistan, the federating units were independent entities and they could not be divided. He said Pakistan was a multinational state and it must be acknowledged.

He said his party supported human rights, specially rights of women, and added democracy without equal rights for all was meaningless.

Mr Shah said disappearance or arrest of people without legal process was unacceptable.

He said his party was in the process of organisation up to union council level which would be completed by April.