HYDERABAD, Jan 13: People from different walks of life have backed the policy statement given by President Gen Pervez Musharraf during his televised address to the nation on Saturday night saying it was a step in right direction.
Expressing their views in their separate interviews to Dawn they said that the president, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, had made a bold statement regarding India which would help boost the moral of the soldiers ready to defend the country in case of any aggression by the enemy.
The Naib Nazim, Hyderabad district, Nawab Rashid Ali Khan, said that it was a balanced and bold speech to put the things in order in the country.
He hoped that if the measures announced by the President were implemented strictly then the situation would improve to a great extent.
The chairman of Awami Tahrik and senior advocate, Mr Rasul Bux Palejo said that there was no option for the president but to ban the extremist religious organizations. He, however, added that such steps should not have been announced under foreign pressure i.e. from India and USA.
He maintained that the present situation was the result of mismanagement of the state affairs by successive rulers over the last 50 years.
He was of the view that it was the right time now that we should start checking ourselves otherwise we were heading for destruction in a suicidal way.
He pointed out that the rulers had adopted those ways and means which negated the policy of the father of the nation.
He said that the terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and manifestations and hoped that the military rulers would take stock of the situation in the wake of rapidly developing global scenario.
The president of Sindh High Court Bar Association, Hyderabad, Hakim Ali Siddiqui, also welcomed the speeches of the president. In his opinion the president had announced a very good policy.
He said that it would certainly help raise the image of our country which was being blamed for producing terrorists.
Former president, Hyderabad District Bar Association, Chaudhry Bashir Gujjar, said that nothing better than the present policy statement could have been expected given the international situation.
He said that the president was quite right in banning five organizations.
The president of PPP, Hyderabad, Pervez Ansari said that such initiatives should have been taken earlier as his party chairperson had forewarned that the religious organisations were crossing certain limits and would become a problem for the country.
He said that president had taken a right decision in the right direction.
A district leader of PML(N), Raees Allah Bukhsh Magsi, however called for the restoration of the government of Nawaz Sharif.
He added that only political leaders could deal with a political government of India in the present situation and it would be better that the army should return to barracks and hand over the reins to the politicians.
He said that the country could not afford any war given the precarious condition of our economy.
The leader of independent group in Hyderabad District Council, Dr Irfan Gul Magsi backed President Musharraf saying that it was a moral boosting speech by him.
He asserted that Islam did not preach intolerance and hatred towards anyone.
The chairman of Hyderabad SITE Association, Mazhar-ul-Haque, also supported the measures taken against extremist organizations.
PEACE WALK: A peace walk was organized by International Peace Friends Society of Pakistan on Sunday in the wake of the president’s speech.
The president of the society, Saeed Nizami led the walk.
Speaking to the participants, he said that the walk was staged to condemn the activists of the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda and extremism on the part of religious organizations.
He urged the international community to use its influence over India which had developed war hysteria.