November 02, 2007	Friday	Shawwal 20, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: Speakers on Thursday warned against imposition of martial law or state of emergency in the country saying such an attempt would endanger unity of the federation.

Speaking at a seminar on “Why another military intervention is not in Pakistan’s interest” they stressed that democracy was the only way to steer the country out of the quagmire of extremism and terrorism, which breeds under the military dictatorship.

The seminar was organized by Dialogue Group on Civil-Military Relations facilitated by Pakistan institute of Legislative Democracy and Transparency (PILDAT).

Former Governor Sindh Moeenuddin Haider said concentration of powers in one hand in civilian rule was bad but was even worse during military dictatorships, as the military rulers were not accountable to anybody.

He said now when the country was poised to elections, talk of fresh martial law was not a right thing to do. He said “not only the military needs to understand that democracy is the only way forward to maintain unity of the federation, political parties should also put their houses in order and ensure good governance when they are in power”.

Former Chief of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General (retd) Assad Durrani said another military intervention would harm army as an institution. He said such a situation would also have a bad impact on the economic situation.

He said the army as an institution did not want military intervention, but certain individuals within the army have their own ambitions.

Lt General (retd) Talat Masood said Pakistan today was flirting with the risk of becoming a failed state. He said it was unfortunate that Musharraf missed the excellent opportunity of strengthening the institutions and preferred to advance his own interests and that of his political structure. He said the US policy to support an individual in Pakistan had back-fired and observed that the super power should have supported the process and the institutions instead.

He said army had utterly failed to become an agent of change adding that a fresh martial law or emergency would only reinforce the failures. He said the military today faced great challenge as it could not operate in vacuum without public support.

He observed that politico-religious parties would start siding with militants if martial law was imposed. He stressed that terrorists did not need sanctuaries and could operate even without safe havens. He said the US must realise that the stability of Pakistan and its tribal belt were inter-linked.

Former Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz said political process was not allowed to take roots in Pakistan. He said the civilian governments had a capacity to deliver to the people, much more than the military rulers. He said the reforms introduced by the then government led by Nawaz Sharif in 1993 were fundamental and structured.

He called for free and fair elections in which the people should be allowed to choose their leaders through the ballot. He said all the three pillars of the state should be allowed to independently function without encroaching upon each others’ jurisdiction.

Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said efforts had been made in the past to justify military interventions on the plea that democratic governments failed to deliver. He said the military after coming into power had always aggravated the situation.

He said the Musharraf regime’s claims about good governance, provincial harmony and economic development stand exposed now. “We must give democracy a chance, vote the dictatorial forces out and bring a better lot,” he remarked.

Former Governor Balochistan Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch noted that situation in the country was not favourable for another martial law or another emergency.

Former Secretary Interior Tasneem Noorani said martial law at the end of an undeclared martial law would be something unprecedented. He said judiciary has shown its strength and would behave differently if martial law was pronounced this time.