HYDERABAD, April 20: Leaders of different political parties and organizations and intellectuals at a meeting held in Karachi on Monday formed a five-member committee to work out modalities for forming a joint forum of progressive parties of the country. The chief of the National Workers’ Party, Mr Abid Hussain Manto, presided over the meeting.

Awami Tehrik chief Rasool Bux Palijo, Yousuf Masti Khan, veteran politician Mairaj Mohammad Khan, Azhar Jameel, Labour Party leader Farooq Tariq and Nisar Shah, Kamran Abbas, Akhtar Hussain, Usman Baloch and Adeeb Zahir Akhtar attended the meeting.

The main objective of the meeting was to bring the progressive parties together on one platform to discuss burning issues confronting the country and to launch a joint struggle for redressal of people’s grievances.

The meeting was of the view that political and economic sovereignty of the country had been sold out to America and politics and economy of country was being held a hostage in hands of army generals, capitalists and feudal lords.

The meeting said the country was in the grip of political crisis and instability and the masses were suffering from hunger and poverty.

The meeting noted that unless the progressive forces united on one platform and waged a joint struggle, basic changes in the set up of the country would remain an elusive dream.

In furtherance of this objective, a five-member team was constituted to draft a constitution and policy statement for the joint platform keeping in view the prevailing international situation, the concept of democracy in Pakistan, the role of the army, class conflict, inter-provincial disputes and the role of the federation and over and above all, the water dispute.

The meeting adopted several resolutions, rejecting the Kalabagh dam or any other dam on the River Indus and construction of the greater Thal canal.

It demanded that construction of the canal should be suspended forthwith; the NFC award should be announced keeping in view the deprivation of provinces.

The meeting demanded that the sovereignty of provinces on their own resources should be acknowledged.

It also rejected the division of the Hyderabad district and demanded that the decision should be withdrawn.