RAWALPINDI: The United Democratic Front today [April 6] rejected President Bhutto’s offer of amendments to the draft Constitution, contained in the aide memoire presented to the six representatives of the Opposition MNAs on April 4. After a marathon eight-hour session, the eight-party UDF announced tonight its decision not to be a party to the passage of an “anti-people Constitution” and continue its boycott of the Constituent Assembly.

In a … statement … the UDF described the President’s 26-page aide memoire as full of jugglery of words, distortion of facts and contradiction of arguments. It also described the aide memoire as being dictatorial in tone and of illogical length. This indicated … that President Bhutto has adopted the same attitude towards the people of Pakistan as a victor adopts towards a vanquished nation.

The statement, which was read out by the UDF Secretary, Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, warned that the ruling party alone will be responsible for all the consequences if it proceeded under the illusion that it had the constitutional right to impose on the nation a constitution of its own will, without the participation of the federating units.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2023