KARACHI, March 23: Leaders of various major political and religious parties, in a resolution on Wednesday, demanded the release of Javed Hashmi, permission for Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to return home, allow student union activities in educational institutions, and revive and implement the 1973 Constitution as it was before 1999.

The leaders vowed to struggle for the revival of 1973 constitution in its true shape, and alleged the present government of unilaterally taking all decisions of national nature, pushing the nation on the verge of destruction.

They were speaking at a seminar on “Role of Pakistani Youth in the light of the Two-Nation Theory”, organized by the PML-N at a local hotel.

Prominent leaders of the MMA, the PML-N, the PPP and the ARD unanimously rejected the governance and policies of the ruling Muslim League and deplored the current regime, which they said under the ‘supervision of a dictator’ had paved the way for the repetition of ‘the 1971 situation’.

MMA leader Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, who was awarded the presiding seat, pledged all-out support for democratic forces working for the supremacy of constitution and democracy, and said: “The PML-N had come into government through a legitimate election and the action taking by the army against it was condemnable.”

“Even if Nawaz Sharif was accountable, there was no need for Musharraf to dissolve the national and provincial assemblies,” he said.

He called on all political parties to launch a joint struggle against the ‘army rule’.

Citing the Pakistan Resolution, he said the policies of the present government were against the dreams envisaged by the Quaid-i-Azam.

The President ARD Sindh and central leader of the PML-N, Zain Ansari, alleged that dictators who were responsible for the 1971 scenario were yet once again fanning anger among the smaller provinces by restricting their rights.

Condemning the army action in Balochistan and Wana, he said innocent people were being slaughtered for raising voice against the biased policies of the government.

PML-N leaders Sardar Abdul Rahim, Saleem Zia and Makhdoom Shah Nawaz demanded the release of Javed Hashmi, and an end to the exile of their party Chief Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

They were of the view that an immediate action was required to curb the menace of poverty and unemployment. This they said was only possible under the leadership of a true democratic leader.

PPP leader Rashid Hussain Rabani said the present rulers while extending a hand of friendship to India were compromising on the Two-Nation theory and Kashmir. “Pakistani youths have to take action against these ideological crimes, before its too late,” he said.

He maintained that the present rulers would be held accountable for any mass uprising in the future, which was likely in the light of the prevailing situation in Balochistan.

Habibuddin Junedi, Basharat Mirza, Zahid Rafiq Butt, Khuwaja Tariq Aziz, Khalid Mumtaz advocate and others also spoke.—PPI