HYDERABAD, March 24: Leaders of different political parties on Monday rejected the Legal Framework Order, saying that the so- called amendments to the Constitution are unacceptable.
While speaking at a seminar on ‘Federation and Federating Units: How to Make Pakistan a True Federation,’ speakers urged the Centre to respect the rights of the federating units, adding that they should be given complete autonomy.
They also said that hegemony of one province over other provinces would not be tolerated.
The seminar, which was organized by the Takhleeq Foundation, was held at the Basant Hall here on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, People’s Party Parliamentarians’ MPA Nuzhat Pathan blamed the establishment for disrupting the political process, saying that it had resulted in weakening of the political institutions.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Aslam Pervez said that the provinces should be given their due share of revenue in the light of their contribution to the national exchequer.
The Awami Tehrik Rasool Bux Palijo said that Sindh was not benefiting from its resources, including gas, oil and water.
Secretary-general of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Mairaj Mohammad Khan said: “In effect, the Constitution did not exist today as theory of “might is right” was being used for running the affairs of the Federation.
Referring to the US-led attack on Iraq, he warned against any internal instability in the country, saying that it would be harmful.
Chairman of the Sindh Tarraqi Pasand Party Dr Qadir Magsi accused different rulers of propounding their own theories of federation with the result that the country had been turned into a laboratory for constitutional experiments.
He said that the people had been enslaved by the LFO, adding that cosmetic changes in the Constitution would not resolve the problems of the people.
An Awami National Party leader, Qamoos Gul Khattak, proposed that the Centre should keep only foreign affairs, currency and defence while the rest of the authority should be devolved to the provinces.
He said that so long as the political parties kept inviting army chiefs for taking over the country, democracy could not take roots, adding that strong provinces would make the federation strong.
Other speakers, who spoke on the occasion, included Jam Saqi, Dr Najeeb Memon and G. N. Mughal.