Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Lashing out at the former military rulers, Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, on Saturday said all major decisions, which turned out to be detrimental to Pakistan, were taken during the regimes by dictators.
While addressing a Seminar Titled “Is Democracy essential for Pakistan” here at Karachi Press Club, Chairman Senate said that the incident of U2, adverse treaties like CEATO and SENTO, Afghan Jihad and siding with US in its war in Afghanistan after 9/11 were all the those detrimental decisions which were taken by the military rulers.
Rabbani, who presided over the Seminar, further said that in General (R) Pervez Musharraf’s regime the American drones would fly from Pakistani airbases and attack its targets inside Pakistan.
“All decisions should be taken in the parliament but unfortunately political parties, including PPP, had been taking decisions in All Parties’ Conferences instead of the elected forum,” Rabbani lamented.
Chairman Senate said that threat hurled by American President Donald Trump was very serious but the state can effectively respond to it only through the masses. “Only masses can respond to such threats, no matter how serious they are,” he opined, adding that Washington had find a local policeman in form of President Narendra Modi long after it had lost one in form of Shah-e-Iran.
Minister of Port and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bezenjo said that people have rendered great sacrifices for the country.
Had the US not defeated USSR in Afghanistan it wouldn’t be able to use this language against us, he said. “Before General Zia there was no concept of corruption in politics but this was he who corrupted the politics by introducing non-democratic and non-political system.
“We will have to go towards dialogue,” he urged upon the political leaders. “Had there been eighteenth constitutional amendment there would have no disintegration of Pakistan in 1971,” the Baloch leader said.
Bezenjo opined that articles 62 and 63 were not introduced to curtain corruption but these were aimed at controlling politicians.
Chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Dr Farooq Sattar said that if the population of Sindh is 7 crore then around 3 crore of it must live in Karachi. He rejected the results of provincial census, saying they were not reflecting reality.
“The resources of Sindh should be used by Sindh first,” he said.
Chief of Mohajir Qaumi Movement Afaq Ahmed said that the decision taken by a single man had damaged democracy in the country. He came hard on General (R) Pervez Musharraf and saying he was responsible for most of the country’s ills.
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Sindh President Sarfaraz Khan Jataoi, PML-F Sindh General Secretary Sardar Abdul Raheem, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Ali Hyder Zaidi, President Karachi Bar Association Naeem Qureshi, News Analyst Aneeq Ahmed, Mazhar Abbas, Qaomi Tahreek Party Chief Ayaz Latif, Pak Sarzameen Party’s Anees Advocate, President Karachi Press Club Siraj Ahmed, Secretary Maqsood Yousufi and Joint Secretary Naimat Khan also spoke to the Seminar.
