GOVERNMENT’S CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE DEFIES THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES - MQM CENTRAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE

Karachi-30 June 2002
The Members of the Central Co-ordination Committee of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) while responding to the Constitutional amendments said that the Constitutional package put forward by the Government did not only defy the democratic principles, it would lead to the centralisation of power to the Federation. This would indeed, further enhance the sense of deprivation amongst the people of the minority provinces whose rights had already been usurped. They further said that the present century was the century of devolution and decentralisation, however, in Pakistan the formula of further centralisation was being put forward through this Constitutional package.  

The Members of the Central Co-ordination Committee stated that through this package, the Armed Forces had been provided with the Constitutional role in running the affairs of the State and the Parliament had been made further powerless. They emphasised that according to the democratic principles and norms, the right to bring about any Constitutional amendment was the right of the elected Parliament and certainly not of the non-elected people. Therefore, they believed that the Government should have left the matter of the Constitutional amendments to the forth-coming elected parliament.

The Members of the Central Co-ordination Committee said that the proposed Constitutional package included such amendments that would violate the basic human rights and by using such amendments the Government could take actions against the people of the minority provinces on the pretext of inciting religious or ethnic hatred if they would raise their voice for their rights.

The Members of the Central Co-ordination Committee exhorted that the present situation yet again proved the point that the Constitution of 1973 had failed to protect the democratic rights of the people, provincial autonomy and also failed to protect itself. Therefore for the sake of stability of Pakistan and protection of democracy and for the total autonomy to the provinces, framing of a fresh Constitution in accordance with the spirit of the Lahore Resolution of 1940 was now inevitable. They emphasised that it was the right of an elected Constituent Assembly which equally represented by the people of all the provinces.