HYDERABAD, Nov 19 Noted intellectual and chief of National Workers Party Abid Hassan Manto advocate has urged President Asif Ali Zardari to surrender all powers, which are vested in the institution of parliament and prime minister under a parliamentary system.

Mr Manto said in a lecture on “prevailing political and economic crises and role of left wing parties” here on Thursday that the parliamentary system had not been restored fully in the country since Feb 18, 2008. Unless the federating units were made owners of their own natural resources and given full provincial autonomy, political and economic crises could not be solved, he said.

He was of the opinion that the 1973 Constitution did not guarantee provincial autonomy nor real democracy but still he fully supported supremacy of the Constitution and democratic dispensation.

He said that terrorists and retrogressive forces posed a serious threat to Pakistan and democracy and neither Asif Ali Zardari nor Nawaz Sharif had the ability to face them because they also believed in the prevailing exploitative and retrogressive system.

He said that rulers were acting like beggars and the country was deep in foreign debt. A poor man had to be in constant war for survival, he said.

Mr Manto said that left wing parties had never supported army's interference in political affairs and although he did not endorse President Zardari's policies but if army tried to remove him, he would oppose the army.

He said the army had ruled the country for more than 30 years since the creation of Pakistan. Pakistani establishment was part of international establishment and reins of present democratic government were also being held by the international establishment, he claimed.

He said that Quaid-i-Azam did not envisage any role for armed forces in political and economic affairs of the country but the forces had now become virtual owners of the country. He saw no hope for change unless the socialist and Marxist forces were united on one platform.

Answering a question, Mr Manto said that efforts were being made to unite leftist parties on one platform. The Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party and National Workers Party would soon merge into one party, he said.

Yousuf Masti Khan who was also one of the speakers hailed Sindh government's decision to hold a judicial inquiry into murder of Nazeer Abbasi and said the party would pursue the case.

Akhtar Hussain, Allah Obhayo, Hassan Askari, Jam Saqi, Mushtaq Nizamani and others were also present at the lecture.