Seven-point program of General Parvez Musharraf very positive from national standpoint

Karachi, 18 October 1999

The MQM Co-ordination Committee in an emergency session at Nine Zero, Azizabad, Karachi, considered the address of the Chief Executive, Chief of Army Staff General Parvez Musharraf relayed to the nation on 17 October 1999. After the meeting the Co-ordination Committee issued a statement applauding the seven-point program announced by General Parvez Musharraf. The Co-ordination Committee declared these points as very positive from the national standpoint, and stated that MQM has been demanding similar points for the past several years, particularly the devolution of powers from centre to province and from province to local bodies, depoliticising State institutions and impartial and transparent accountability an extremely important step for the country. The Co-ordination Committee prayed and hoped that God provide General Parvez Musharraf strength to carry out the program for the welfare of the nation as a whole. They pointed out that the manner in which General Parvez Musharraf has announced that he would present his personal assets for public scrutiny is a positive precedence and all the government functionaries, bureaucrats, politicians and judges should be asked to follow his example. Since General Parvez Musharraf has commenced impartial, fair and transparent process of accountability, we appeal that accountability of those administration police personnel should also be carried out who had committed atrocities upon the people of Sindh, specially in urban areas of Sindh, who extra-judicially murdered innocent citizens and extracted billions of rupees from innocent citizens by force, through blackmail and extortion, torture and by employing other methods. The Co-ordination Committee pointed out that it is essential for impartial accountability that those police and administration officials appointed and imported from other provinces in Sindh at all levels should be sent back and local people should be recruited at all levels in Police and Administration. The Committee pointed out the atrocities and injustices committed in Sindh province, particularly in the urban centres and stated that in order to redress the grievances, the people of Sindh should be given an opportunity to run the affairs of their province without undue interference from the centre. The Co-ordination Committee appealed to the Chief Executive General Parvez Musharraf that they expect him to take steps to restore true democracy in Pakistan as soon as possible, so that the people of Pakistan can rid themselves of sham democracy forever and reap the benefits of true democracy.