PESHAWAR, Feb 1: Participants in a consultative workshop have urged political parties to wage a joint struggle for true democracy in the country and for ending the unrest among the federating units.

“There should be rule of law and federal democratic order in the country, where resources among the federating units should be distributed on equitable basis,” said Dr Said Alam Mahsud of the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP).

He was speaking at a one-day consultation dialogue entitled the “future of democratic federalism in Pakistan”, organised by the Centre for Civic Education Pakistan here on Wednesday.

He cited increasing intervention of army in the country’s politics, lack of provincial autonomy and rule of law as reasons obstructing the courts of development of true democracy in Pakistan.

“No major project was launched in the NWFP and Balochistan during 57 year of the country’s inception, which has created a deep sense of deprivation among the smaller provinces,” he added.

ANP’s deputy secretary-general Afrasiab Khattak said the army was unable to perform its due role, but was ruling the people through force. People, he said, had been disempowered and the army generals were taking the top-level decisions.

Mr Khattak said the people were being treated as subjects instead of citizens. Pakistan, he said, had become a garrison state, where armed forces had occupied each institution and made a mess of the affairs.

“Every law is brought to parliament after being vetted by the JAG branch of the general head-quarters GHQ. Parliament is powerless. The policies pursued by the government are in no way in line with the aspiration of the people,” he said.

He said operation in Balochistan was another problem created by the federal government. He said it was unjust that the president had announced his decision on the NFC award.

He demanded that parliament be empowered and the judiciary should play the role of a watchdog, saying that it was of paramount importance for the growth of democracy in the country.

The president, he said, had become part of a political party, which was most dangerous sign for the integrity and solidarity of the country.

However, he said the people were now fast becoming aware of their rights and duties, saying that certain parliamentarians from Balochistan could present their problems with the support of authentic data and logic. Time had changed a great deal, he added.

Secretary Information of the JUI-F Abdul Jalil Jan said the smaller federating units, including the NWFP and Balochistan, were struggling for the royalty of electricity and gas for long. Islamabad had forced them to stand up against the rulers, he said.

He stressed the need to bring all the decisions before parliament, so it could make legislations according to the wishes of the people.

Rakhshanda Naz of the Aurat Foundation underlined the need to ensure women’s rights and demanded amendments to the family law and scrapping of the Hudood Law.

She was critical of political parties.

They had compromised on certain issues with the federal government that adversely affected the women lot, who formed 50 per cent of the country’s population, she added.

Local journalist Iqbal Khattak, director Centre for Civic Education Zafarullah Khan and PPP’s Khwaja Yawar Naseer also spoke on the occasion.