LAHORE: …Mr Bhutto declared here today [Oct 23] that his party stood for the system of joint electorate because it ensured national integrity and was in the interest of a country which believed in progress. Indicating that the future draft constitution … was likely to provide for the system of separate electorate, Mr. Bhutto said he would like to assure the people of East Pakistan whose general sentiments were in favour of joint electorate that his party would cooperate with them in deciding the question of electoral system.

… Mr. Bhutto said … that those parties which stood for introduction of separate electorate, were trying to divide a united nation. He expressed that on one hand certain parties were asking for separate electorate on the plea that it was essential for preserving the ideology of Pakistan, but on the other they raised no objection regarding the fact that the constitution was being framed by a non-Muslim — that obvious reference being to Mr. Justice A.R Cornelius.

… Mr. Bhutto said his differences with Mr. Cornelius pertained to sovereignty of the National Assembly — whether the document to be presented by the Government should be a draft constitution or a fully prepared constitution. …

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2021