HYDERABAD, Sept 1: Ve-teran leftist leaders on Saturday stressed the need for a new political party representing poor, middle and lower-middle classes, workers, peasants and women in view of the changed political atmosphere on the country brought about by the lawyers’ struggle.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club, Mairaj Mohammad Khan, Taj Mari, Dr Hassan Nasir, Salahuddin Bangash and Azhar Jamil who were leaders of Inqalabi Jamhoori Workers Committee, said that they had contacted the progressive, nationalist and democratic leaders to persuade them to form such a political party at the committee’s national convention scheduled to be held after two months.

They said that the change triggered by the unparalleled struggle by lawyers, journalists and the downtrodden had changed the entire political scenario in the country and made it necessary that all the political parties and social organisations should unite on one platform to launch a massive struggle for the restoration of true democracy.

It was possible if the peasants, workers, women, youth, nationalist and democratic forces struggled from one platform for the common objectives, they said and added that such a party would be able to stop the army generals’ interference in political affairs and help eliminate feudal system. They said that they met with nationalist, progressive and democratic leaders to convince them to form the party at the national convention to be held after two months.

Mr Mairaj Mohammad Khan made it clear that their demand for a new party was not an expression of no-confidence in the existing political parties but it was against the illegal and unconstitutional regime of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

He paid rich tributes to the lawyers, media and the judiciary and said that it happened for the first time in the judicial history of the country since 1954 that the Chief Justice of Pakistan dared say “no” to a military dictator.

Mr Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry’s “no” was a turning point, which brought together the disappointed people from all walks of life on one platform.

He said that the Supreme Court’s verdicts in the cases of Javed Hashmi, Nawaz Sharif and missing persons had raised the hopes of people and infused them with new vigour to face the oppressors.

Mr Khan advised President Musharraf not to resort to commando action against his own people and go home following the footsteps of his predecessor, Gen Ayoub Khan.

He said that the supremacy of parliament had to be restored, which had been suppressed by the National Security Council. It was high time that people, 45 per cent of whom were living below poverty line, should be taken on board, he stressed.

The judiciary had its own limits beyond which it could not act, for example the judiciary could not look after law and order, education, health, trade and industry and a host of other problems. It was the political parties’ job to change the country’s economic system, he said.

Mr Khan ridiculed the government’s claim about increase in foreign exchange reserves saying that it was not due to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz but due to Sept 11. A look at the country’s export performance could easily prove it, he said.

The democracy could only succeed in an industrialised country, he said and stressed the need for industrial development on a massive scale and land reforms without delay.

He said the question of provincial autonomy must be decided forthwith and all the subjects concentrated in the federation should be transferred to provinces except three or four portfolios.

Mr Khan said that the party they were trying to make would be democratic, reformist and would have collective and elective leadership. They must learn a lesson from China and India, he said.