PESHAWAR, Aug 27: Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday stressed the need for having meaningful, trustworthy and lasting bilateral relations with India so that Pakistan was spared recurring military coups and the army’s role in politics was brought to an end.

The two-day seminar on Problems, Solutions and Responsibilities of the Federal, Provincial and Local Governments was organized by a Lahore-based NGO, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), here at a local hotel on Wednesday.

A former Punjab chief minister, Muhammad Haneef Ramay, suggested that Punjab must be divided into three same-size provinces to lessen its domineering role in the country’s decision-making forums.

He said the flaws in foreign policy, dependence on foreign powers and continuous confrontation with India had given the centripetal forces in Pakistan a boost, depriving the smaller provinces of their rights.

He lamented that a man deserving capital punishment under Article 6 of the Constitution had been authorized by the Supreme Court to make amendments to the Constitution. He held the judiciary equally responsible for the failure of political system.

He cited eight reasons which, according to him, had brought the country to a sorry pass:

(1) The abrogation or putting in abeyance of the Constitution by military dictators (2) the formation of One Unit (3) introduction of the principle of parity (4) the dominant presence of Punjab in civil and military bureaucracy (5) formation of local governments by the dictators (6) failure of the three-tier (federal, provincial, local) system in Pakistan (7) domination of feudal lords (8) void of democracy in political parties.

He demanded an immediate halt to the military’s intervention in political affairs and accountability of the judiciary for its role, down from Justice Mohammad Munir to date, for siding with the adventurists.

Mr Ramay demanded an end to the concurrent list, determination of quantum of provincial autonomy, and strengthening of the Council of Common Interest, National Economic Council, National Finance Commission and other forums of national importance guaranteed a role in the Constitution. He suggested that the Senate should be vested with financial powers.

He said Sindhis and Balochis should be recruited in the armed forces in maximum numbers.

He denounced the posting of Punjabi officials on deputation in smaller provinces, and demanded posting of officials from smaller provinces at the centre.

Awami National Party president Asfadyar Wali Khan spoke about the discriminatory attitude of the centre towards its provinces.

He said: “Punjab means Pakistan and Pakistan means Punjab, because the army is safeguarding the rights of Punjabis at the cost of smaller provinces”.

He said in 1973 it had been assured to the representatives from the smaller provinces that the concurrent list would be abolished after 10 years.

“We asked that the issue of provincial autonomy be not touched for the next 10 years. Our leaders did this in the larger interest after the 1971 debacle, but no one bothered to decide about it,” he claimed.

He demanded payment of net hydel profit on the generation of electricity, excise duty on tobacco and right of exploration and extraction of minerals. He opposed the construction of Kalabagh dam which, according to him, had been rejected by the NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan.