LAHORE, May 24: Representatives of various political parties and civil society organizations have reached a consensus on a minimum 18-point agenda on future democratic process in the country with a pledge that they would not accept constitutional amendments nor the national security council contemplated by President Pervez Musharraf.

The consensus was reached at a one-day consultation on “Democratic values and obligations of political parties” arranged by the Human Right Commission of Pakistan at its Aiwan-i-Jamhoor, New Garden Town, with the HRCP chairman Afrasiab Khattak in the chair here on Friday. Former HRCP chairperson Asma Jahangir was also present.

The agreed minimum agenda will be now approved by the central executive committees of the political parties.

The political parties represented at the consultation included Pakistan People’s Party, PPP(SB), Pakistan Muslim League (N), Awami National Party, National Workers Party, Balochistan National Movement, Labour Party of Pakistan, Seraiki National Party, Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party.

After a day-long discussion the meeting issued the following agreed minimum agenda;

1. Political parties will not accept any constitutional formula or amendments presented by Musharraf government to give the armed forces any ‘stake holding’ role in the future political setup and they would reject the national security council.

2. They will not directly or indirectly invite the military to take over power from an elected government.

3. Each party will appoint an “inter-party coordinator” for dialogue with other parties.

4. They will play their role in next parliament and legislate on independence of judiciary.

5. They will set up sub-committee in the parliament to issue a white paper on the interference and the role of intelligence agencies in politics and make them accountable to the parliament. They also demanded dissolution of the present election commission and appointment of an independent commission and accountability commission.

6. They will take measures to eliminate terrorism, sectarianism, violence and gunpoint culture. They will also bring enlightened changes in education curricula to raise a new generation inspired by humanism, peace, tolerance and honest inquiry. 7. They demanded an interim caretaker government for conducting the elections.

8. They will ensure maximum provincial autonomy and redress grievances of federating units, dispensing with the concurrent list of subjects in the Constitution.

9. They will give legal protection to the institution of local bodies, the elections of which will be held on joint electorate and party basis by the federating units.

10. They will ensure parliament’s approval of all public expenditure including defence expenditure, all treaties, agreements, financial or otherwise, negotiated with foreign parties.

11. They will ensure enforcement of freedom of information law, amendments in the National Archives Act and all other laws restricting the freedom of expression, the press and electronic media.

12. They will check the misuse of exit control list (ECL) and repeal arbitrary laws of detention like the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

13. They will ensure freedom of religion and oppose religious persecutions.

14. They wail repeal all laws discriminating against women, children, working people, minorities and special days would be reserved in the parliament to address their problems.

15. They will promote a culture of tolerance, free debate, respect for difference of opinion and consensus building on major issues in public interest.

16. They will encourage the state to create a fund for the proper functioning of political parties and education of their cadres.

17. They will take steps to eradicate crimes committed with impunity against women, minorities or religious sects and other marginalised sections of society.

18. They will take steps to de-politicise the bureaucracy and armed forces to make them truly professional.

The participants also passed a resolution expressing their grave concern over the war clouds hovering over the skies of Pakistan following the mobilisation of Indian armed forces on its borders and urged both the countries to take immediate measures to de-escalate and avert the a war which, they feared, would be disastrous for the people of South Asia.

Those who addressed the meeting included Dr Mubashir Hasan, Syed Mushahid Hussain, Raza Rabbani, Mahmud Ahmad Achakzai, Abdur Rahim Mandokhel, Abid Hassan Minto, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Syed Iqbal Haider, Tahir Muhammad Khan, Ehsan Wyne, Dr Mahdi Hasan, I.A. Rehman, Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry (retired), Supreme Court Bar Association president Hamid Khan, PFUJ president I.H. Raashed, Farooq Tariq of Labour Party, columnists Imtiaz Alam and Ahmad Rashid. Representatives of Punjab Bar Council, PUJ, CLAAS, SAP Pakistan, Justice and Peace Commission were also present.