PABNA: Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, President, East Pakistan National Awami Party, declared here yesterday [Dec 29] that his party would boycott the elections in all its tiers and would press the other Opposition parties of the country to follow suit.

The Maulana further announced that his party would oppose Mr Z.A. Bhutto or Air Marshal Asghar Khan or Justice Murshed or anyone else contesting the elections. The NAP leader disfavoured the unity of the Opposition for the purposes of contesting elections and called upon the Opposition parties to unite with a view to oust the present regime through relentless mass movement.

The Maulana did not believe that the amendment of the present Constitution would improve the situation to the least and as such he was in favour of a new Constitution based on Socialist structure. He said that the Constitution as envisaged by him would have provisions for universal adult franchise, full autonomy for East Pakistan as well as for the former province of West Pakistan and annulment of One Unit. The Maulana said that only defence, currency and foreign affairs should remain with the Centre, the rest lying with the Provinces. He wanted the Naval Headquarters in East Pakistan and demanded that all military pacts be scrapped forthwith and a neutral foreign policy be adopted. — Agency

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2018