MOVING
PAKISTAN FORWARD
MANIFESTO
ELECTIONS 2002
Muttahida
Quami Movement (MQM) Pakistan
A - Preamble
The ideology of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is an amalgam of
three symbolic concepts: unison, integration and dynamism. These concepts can
only be achieved through the instrument of “Realism” and “Practicalism”
(Pragmatism). The abolishment of medieval feudal system, the eradication of
political authoritarianism, economic inequality and social disharmony and the
promotion of cultural pluralism are our cherished goals. These ideals are
derived from the teachings of Mr Altaf Hussain, Founder and Leader of the MQM.
Public life in Pakistan, as perceived by MQM, is not solely
political, but equally, intellectual, moral, cultural, religious, social and
economic. It represents not a select few, rather a multitude that is termed
masses and MQM is the party of this very entity. It seeks to bring about such
innovative changes that will revolutionize and improve the quality of life of
the common man. To achieve this end MQM has devised a three-pronged strategy.
First is decentralization of power and functions from top to the grass root
level. Second, eradication of a decadent feudal system wherein a coterie of
privileged two per cent dictate and determine the fate of ninety eight percent
disadvantaged. Third, induction of the multitude into the power structure so as
to provide maximum opportunity to the economic-cum- socially deprived rung of
the population to enjoy progress and prosperity not only for them but also for
their generations.
MQM is a peace loving political party, which believes in
non-violence and opposes terrorism in all forms and manifestations.
MQM wants an independent and non-aligned foreign policy for the
country and wishes to promote close and friendly relations with all the
countries. MQM believes that all disputes should be settled through meaningful
and honourable negotiations.
MQM wants to strengthen the defence of the country. Such policies
should be formulated that will enable every individual of every region of the
country to be recruited into the armed forces.
B - Objectives
| |
(1)
Revival of the true
spirit of Lahore Resolution
|
|
(2) Autonomy &
Decentralisation: The jugular vein of Federation
|
|
(3)
Restructred polity
|
|
(4) Accelerated
development of human capital
|
|
(5)
New paradigms of
economic growth
|
|
(6)
Guarantees for
security of life & liberty
|
|
|
(7)
Eradication of decadent feudal system |
(1)
Revival
of the true spirit of Lahore Resolution
The Preambles of the abrogated Constitution of 1956 and the
mutilated Constitution of 1973 are the carbon copies of the Preamble of the
draft Constitution of 1954. The following clause had been incorporated in all
the three Constitutions:
Whereas the principles
of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice, as enunciated by
Islam, shall be fully observed and whereas adequate provision shall be made for
the minority freely to profess and practice their religions and develop their
cultures.
All of the constitutions including the 1973 Constitution failed to
provide the fundamental rights, security, democracy, freedom, social justice and
equality to the people of Pakistan specially to the people of smaller provinces.
Even each of these Constitutions could not protect itself. The main reason not
to achieve the above objectives and failure of these constitutions was the
non-inclusion of the true spirit of Lahore Resolution of 1940 which was the
basis of Pakistan Movement. Consequently, in the name of democracy a
bureaucrat-turned-politician dismissed the then Prime Minister who enjoyed the
support of majority in 1953. In the name of freedom, the Constituent Assembly
was dissolved because it had proposed to clip the wings of an autocrat Governor
General in 1954. In the name of equality, smaller provinces were abolished to
evolve so-called parity, in 1955, to deny to the people of Majority Province
(former East Pakistan) their rightful place in national affairs. Separate
electorates, the rampant and unabated religious bigotry, sectarianism, ethnicity
and tribal feuds resulting in violence, arson and murders did not conform to the
precept of tolerance. Social justice remained on papers only. More than 43% of
the people live below the poverty line.
The civil and military autocrats have made so many amendments to
the Constitution of 1973 without the consent of the people that it has lost its
original form, spirit and utility.
Keeping in view the inadequacy, imperfection and failure of the
Constitution of 1973 to provide provincial autonomy and genuine democracy and to
ensure a better quality of life to the teeming millions- inalienable fundamental
rights, equal economic opportunities, justice, security of life and property,
provision of basic needs like shelter, potable water, electricity etc., MQM
proposes the formulation of a new Constitution by an Assembly with equal
representation from all the constituent units. The proposed Constitution not
only envisages the reincarnation of the spirit of Lahore Resolution of 1940 but
will also be in conformity with the genius and aspiration of people.
It is visualized that the New Constitution will have all the
salient features of a true federation- supremacy of Parliament; autonomy of the
provinces- federation having only three subjects i.e., defence, foreign affairs
and currency; bicameral legislature with meaningful powers to both Houses; joint
electorates; independence of judiciary; free press; gender equality with no
discrimination-- equality of all citizens before law irrespective of cast, sect,
colour, religion, language, and equal representation of all the constituent
units in all federal services. We have to have freedom of thought, of
expression, of speech, of movement, of religion, of press and of association and
concepts of such freedom as are enshrined in all Codes of Ethics & Humanity
and Constitutions of the democratic world including our own.
All citizens, Muslims or non-Muslims, will have complete freedom to
profess and practice their religion and rituals without
discrimination. MQM will not defend those arbitrary laws that were designed by
any regime to discriminate and penalize a person-male or female and or community
for his/her or their personal faith, belief or creed. We stand committed to
mitigate the sufferings of the poor and the weak and to elevate the deprived
sections of the society to the level of equality to live a life of dignity.
(2) Autonomy &
Decentralisation: The jugular vein of Federation
The twenty first century is the century of information technology,
greater awareness and decentralisation. Those countries that have opted for
decentralisation have become stronger and prosperous while the countries that
insisted upon centralisation have become weaker and even disintegrated.
The All India Muslim Leagues adopted the Resolution at Lahore on
23rd March 1940 inter alia proclaimed in unequivocal terms the autonomous status
for the constituent units. On 8th November 1945 Quaid-e-Azam stated that the
theory of Pakistan guarantees that the federated units of the National
Government would have all the autonomy that you will find in the Constitution of
USA, Canada and Australia.
All the Constituent/Legislative Assemblies and the successive
Governments since 1954 through manipulations opted for a federation in form but
a unitary system in substance. East Pakistan, having failed to wrest the
promised autonomy, seceded but the situation did not improve rather worsened.
Smaller Provinces became the victims of centralization as they were denied their
due share in power structure, federal institutions, resources and revenues.
Their legitimate share of water from Indus system is denied. They have no powers
to govern their own provinces. Their best lands have been taken over by federal
agencies just to be doled out to the privileged few. Their share in federal
services remained negligible. They have no say in economic planning, selection
of mega projects and in negotiating loans for federal government, the incidence
of which falls upon the smaller provinces.
Such state of affairs has created a deep sense of deprivation in
the smaller provinces that would be dangerous for the national integrity and the
federation of Pakistan. We have witnessed the disintegration of Pakistan in 1971
due to the similar circumstances.
In view of this situation MQM has come to the conclusion that
Provincial Autonomy and decentralisation is a sine qua non for the internal
stability of Pakistan. The MQM, therefore, stands committed to strive for
complete economic, financial and administrative autonomy and political freedom
for provinces through measures listed below:
|
a)
Make Senate an effective body for the protection of constituent units
rights.
|
|
b)
The provinces shall have full provincial autonomy in accordance with the
spirit of Lahore Resolution of 1940. The Federation will have only three
subjects; defence, foreign affairs and currency.
|
|
c)
No taxes or fees will be raised by the Federation on its own behalf.
|
|
d)
Funds needed by the Federation for Defence, Foreign Affairs and Currency
will be paid by the provinces on the basis of their population.
|
|
e)
The amount of Zakat will be distributed in the same district from where
it is collected.
|
|
f)
To bring all the federally administered areas as regular districts within
the jurisdiction of the respective Provinces except the federal capital.
|
|
g)
The local bodies institutions will be strengthened with effective
financial, administrative and legislative powers and constitutional protections.
|
|
h)
To bring all the Cantonment Areas with the political ambit of the Local/
District/ City Government.
|
|
i)
All Federal, Corporations and Autonomous Bodies Services including
Defence will have equal provincial representation.
|
|
j)
Governor will hold office during the pleasure of Provincial Assembly
|
(3) Restructured
Polity
It is often said that Pakistan is a failed State. But no one has
ascribed the reasons. If the feudal who inherited secured Assembly Seats, those
moneyed people that could buy votes, the ones who could grab power through brute
force or those who indulged in corruption, occupy the driving seat and control
law and order, manage economic and financial affairs, dispense justice, become
law makers, design foreign policy and treat the Country as their fiefdom, why to
condemn the Nation?
MQM believes that fair
and impartial elections alone is not sufficient for a Parliamentary Democratic
order. Full and complete power needs to be transferred to the elected
representatives after the election results are announced. The Establishment
shall not influence Legislature and Judiciary in discharge of their functions
and shall not interfere in the politics of the country. Some convention (on
rotation basis) will be established to have the posts of President, Prime
Minister, Speaker NA and Chairman Senate filled, keeping in view the adequate
Provincial representation.
Structural changes needed to control budget deficits, optimise the
tax base and reduce public debts will be effected through following measures:
|
a)
Public Corporations that are running in losses have got to be privatised
on priority basis through a transparent process.
|
|
b)
Restrict the size of Federal and Provincial Cabinets to minimize
expenditure.
|
|
c)
Prime Minister and Chief Ministers will be allocated minimal secret
funds, subject to audit by Public Accounts Committee.
|
|
d)
The practice of mini-budgets- increase of taxes before or after budget
session to be discarded by both Federal and Provincial Governments.
|
|
e)
All taxes, duties and fees including revision shall only be
imposed/levied with the approval of Assemblies.
|
|
f)
President and Governors shall have no powers to promulgate any ordinance
except in grave emergency and when Parliament/Assembly is not in session.
|
|
g)
To curb corruption, it is proposed to transfer all the functions and
powers being exercised by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to the
expanded Offices of Federal and Provincial Ombudsman.
|
|
h)
The statutory Public Accounts Committees are to be streamlined and
strengthened and made effective. The office of the Auditor General shall made
more independent and effective. Appropriate and effective measures will
also be taken to ensure a non-politicised bureaucracy
|
|
i)
The utility Corporations like WAPDA, KESC, S/N GAS, PTCL etc., will have
at-least one-third public representatives on their Board of Directors with a
Chairman who is to be appointed by the government in consultation with the
leader of the opposition, till these are privatised.
|
|
j)
Statutory Provincial Finance Commissions be created through
constitutional provision to appropriate funds for the Province and third tier
government.
|
(4) Accelerated
development of human capital
Pakistan’s adult literacy rate as exaggerated is 42.7%( by
most reports it is 20%) with 56.3% male and 29% female against 67% male and 43%
female of India and 91% male and 75% female of China respectively. Rural Areas
in Pakistan are most neglected, having 45.4% male and 17.3% female literacy
according to official claims. Sindh's rural literacy rate is 38.5% males &
11% females. Overall 2.2% of GNP is allocated to Education Sector in the
national budget, but spent even less than 2%. On an average national budget
allocates O.7% of GNP to Health sector. For every 10,000 population, there are
2.91 doctors, 0.89 nurses and 7.67 hospital beds. Only 21.76% of rural
population has access to water supply whereas 8.91% has access to sanitation.
More than 43% people in the country live below poverty line.
Pakistan’s economic growth strategy proved disastrous because of
three reasons. First, Economists and Planners sole reliance and blind faith in
the imported macro concept of GNP/GDP as indicators of development. Second,
heavy dependence on foreign loans/assistance Third, accepting the advice of the
foreign consultants and directives of the international financial institutions
without appreciating the local conditions. Even the late switch over to market
mechanism- deregulation could not produce the desired results. One of the
reasons why we failed to have sustained or rather accelerated growth is the
neglect to develop human resource. In this context two factors are important.
First, why do we seek development? Second, what are the means that have to be
employed to achieve the ends? China provided primary education, basic health
services and equal status for women before it could launch its development plan.
The first input to growth is thus human resource.
4.1 Education
|
We thus propose to:
|
|
a)
Allocate 5% of GNP annually for education
|
|
b)
Make Education compulsory up to 10th Class and impart Free Education up
to Primary level.
|
|
c)
Subsidise girls’ education in rural areas
|
|
d)
Raise the standard of University education.
|
|
e)
Bring 100% literacy rate in urban areas, 75% male and 50% female in rural
areas within five years and cent per cent literacy within ten years
|
|
f)
Grant scholarships for research within the country
|
|
g)
Admission in higher education institutions strictly on merit
|
|
h)
Increase the number of vocational training institutes for short courses
for matriculates
|
|
i)
Introduction of Information Technology as compulsory subject from 8th
class in schools to 2nd year in Colleges.
|
|
j)
Provincialise/localize University Grants Commission
|
|
k)
Revise syllabi at all levels to meet the challenges of 21st Century
|
|
l)
Empower the local government public representatives to monitor and
evaluate the activities of the educational institutions within their areas.
|
|
m)
All Private Colleges/Universities and equivalent educational/professional
institutions will have Management Boards on which Provincial as well as City and
District Assemblies shall nominate one elected representative on each such
Board.
|
|
n)
The furbishing, environment and quality of teachers and teaching of the
government schools and colleges shall be improved.
|
|
o)
Eradication of present dual system of education by enhancement the
standard of education in all the schools up to the level of grammar schools.
|
|
p)
Increased salaries, facilities and standard of training for teachers
specially for primary and secondary school teachers.
|
|
q)
Encouragement of organisations/individuals to spread education specially
in rural areas on voluntary basis.
|
|
r)
Regulate the private schools in an appropriate manner.
|
4.2 Health
|
a)
Allocate 4% of GNP annually for health sector.
|
|
b)
Introduction of comprehensive social security system.
|
|
c)
Adopt a vertical four-tier system with specialized centres horizontally.
Basic Health Unit (including Maternity and Child Welfare and Population Welfare
Centres at every Union council HQ; Rural Health centres at every taluka/tehsil
HQ; District Hospital at District HQ and Regional Hospitals at Regional level
(old Divisional HQ) with Trauma Centres, Organ transplant centres, Cardio and
Neuro Centres at regional level. Control infant mortality rate and deaths during
pregnancy by increasing the standard of maternity centres and spreading of
awareness amongst the masses.
|
|
d)
Provide high-speed network linkage (Internet) at Taluka, District and
Regional Hospital Units.
|
|
e)
Compulsory Health Insurance for Government, semi-government, Corporate
and Private Sector Companies employees including the retired ones for which
1/3rd premium will be paid by employees and 2/3rd by employers.
|
|
f)
Bring down the prices of the medicines by reducing the general sales tax
and through monitoring and regulation of pharmaceutical companies.
|
|
g)
Control the quality of drugs and medicines.
|
|
h)
Promote and legalize voluntary donation of (human) organs.
|
|
i)
To control the spread of TB and HIV including subsidizing medicines for
DOT, and other diseases through compulsory primary vaccination/inoculation and
to ensure transfusion of safe blood.
|
|
j)
Establish and attach training school for para-medical staff at each
District Headquarter Hospital.
|
|
k)
Provide potable piped water where population is 50,000 and above and
potable raw water where population is 10,000 and above; sewerage or open drains
and sanitation services through Union Council/Taluka Council/District & City
Governments Boards (to be created if not already exist.
|
|
l)
Concept of Adopt health institutions & Adopt education institutions
be popularised.
|
4.3 Role/Status
of Women
Women constitute almost 48% of the population of Pakistan, but a
majority is neglected and ill-treated. At places they are treated just like
chattels. The incidences of open discrimination, maltreatment, physical abuse,
torture and rape of women and female children are common in Pakistan. Instead of
providing justice and protection to the victims of these crimes, the state,
state machinery and state laws become accomplice of the perpetrators of these
innocent victims. Medieval social values, customs and religious laws are being
used to victimise helpless women while the state and state machinery remain
silent spectators. Even the female
rape victims are being sentenced using religious laws promulgated by a military
dictator. In this context the majority of female population have become third
class citizens in Pakistan.
The female illiteracy rate is much higher in rural areas specially
where male dominated society does not allow the womenfolk to become equal
partners with men. Education and contacts outside the four-walls of their homes
are denied in most of the areas.
To reduce or bring an end to this gender discrimination it is
proposed to abolish all such laws that cause injustice and harassment to the
female population.
Spread of education has already been proposed. But it is not
enough. It will be more appropriate to provide more opportunities to women to
join teaching profession. More training schools for female nurses, midwives and
lady health visitors have got to be opened. Population Welfare Centres need to
have at least 75% female staff on their roll. Education, health and social
welfare departments should place no restriction on appointment of female
officers/officials. A full-fledged campaign shall be launched to spread
awareness amongst the people of Pakistan against the gender discrimination.
Women shall be given appropriate and effective representation in every walk of
life including elected bodies.
MQM in any case is against all gender discrimination and would
provide maximum incentives to the female population to be equal partner with
their counterparts.
(5) New
paradigms of economic growth
The fifty-five years of Governmental development Plans failed to
eliminate poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, common diseases and inequality of
income and opportunity. It has been proved in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia
and Taiwan that it was a mistake to take the growth rate of GNP alone to be the
ultimate test of success. MQM believes that development of human resource, as
outlined earlier, is to precede and to be prioritised if real development is to
be achieved. For balanced and fast economic growth it is proposed:
|
·
Pyramidal Economic
Planning. Local and Provincial Planning Boards need to be established and the
Perspective and or National Plan whether five Year or rolling, to be
formulated on the recommendations of these Boards and with the consent and
approval of the eight (two from each PA- one from the treasury and other from
opposition benches) nominated representatives of the Provincial Assemblies
Effective Population Welfare Program to reduce the growth rate from 2.7% to1.5%
within five years.
|
|
·
State Bank of Pakistan
to be made completely autonomous with a Board of Directors having equal
representation from each Province.
|
|
·
Privatise all
commercial, investment banks and DFIs with strict control, supervision and
monitoring by State Bank.
|
|
·
Full Market Mechanism
through deregulation, elimination of bureaucratic controls, minimal use of
public sector, and the expanded role of Stock Markets.
|
|
·
Minimal reliance on
foreign loan/assistance.
|
|
·
Reduction of
non-development expenditure by both Federal and Provincial Governments for which
vigilance committees will be constituted.
|
|
·
Industrialists,
traders and exporters need to be protected from the excesses of
Central/Provincial Boards of Revenue and other government departments.
|
|
·
Achieve maximum
industrialization with maximum privatisation, minimal regulations, encourage
private industrial estates at each district.
|
|
·
Poverty alleviation
program through direct and indirect economic measures.
|
|
·
Encourage formation of
Private Capital Venture Organizations for availability of credit for viable
projects with no obstructions by the bureaucracy.
|
|
·
Provision be made to
prohibit child labour and bonded labour houses/jails.
|
|
·
Provide incentives
with guarantees for investment in Pakistan to Pakistanis living abroad.
|
|
·
Revised Labour Policy
that does not hamper the production and assures a reasonable wage structure,
congenial working conditions and sense of security amongst the labours.
|
|
·
Develop Information
Technology through private enterprise including telecom facilities to the
Internet Service Providers for Internet services up to union council level.
|
|
·
Privatise all sick
industries and such organizations that hamper industrialization with an inbuilt
mechanism to regulate and monitor their activities to protect the interest of
workers and consumers.
|
|
·
Down sizing or right
sizing will be resorted to in phases in such a way that the displaced are
absorbed by the new/expanded projects under the new economic policy. It is also
correlated with our Social Security System proposed earlier
|
|
·
Accelerate development
of Port Qasim, Gwadar and Keti Bunder Ports through private sector ( but
ownership of the land shall remain vested in Government).
|
|
·
Computerize the land
ownership/tenancy/crop record in agrarian sector for better land administration.
|
|
·
The Water Distribution
Accord(s) shall not be tampered with, except with the unanimous consent of the
provinces.
|
|
·
No new irrigation
projects that adversely affect the growers of lower riparian areas including
Kalabagh Dam, Thar Flood Water Canal Project/Greater Thal Canal Project, be
undertaken without the approval of all the Provincial Assemblies and by the
Council of Common Interest.
|
|
·
Ten million acre feet
water down Kotri Barrage be made available for the protection of coastal area
and wild life.
|
|
·
WAPDA’s Power
Distribution system be provincialised immediately till privatised.
|
|
·
Compulsory procurement
policy of agriculture commodities be abolished with no intra-province
restriction on movement.
|
|
·
All Corporations
including Rice Corporation, Trading Corporation etc will be disbanded.
|
|
·
Provincial Export
Promotion Bureaus be reorganized with public representatives participation.
|
|
·
The sharing formula
between the owner of the land and the tenant in the ratio of 50:50 be enforced.
|
|
·
Loans to small land
owners and cultivators be supplemented through Grameen like bank/organization.
|
|
·
Irrigation rates are
to be rationalized. To be levied and collected as service charges for the actual
water consumed.
|
|
·
Water theft by big
land owners has to be stopped and both the owner and the irrigation Executive
Engineers be punished with fine and imprisonment.
|
|
·
Elected Village/Union
Councils should have effective involvement in transforming the rural economy. It
includes distribution of input loans for seed/fertilizer/pesticide or
supervision of warabandis(rotational), detection of water theft or verification
of demand note for revenue/agriculture tax or resolution of disputes between
tenant and owner over crop sharing or mutation of record of rights etc.
|
|
·
Abolish Government
Cooperative Department and instead encourage cooperative farming (including
cattle and poultry), credit and marketing through private cooperatives.
|
|
·
Environmental
degradation shall be stopped. Grow more trees and stop deforestation campaign
will be launched. Trees like eucalyptus that consume disproportionate water will
not be planted in areas except that are threatened by water-logging menace. Air
and noise pollution will be minimized.
|
|
·
Solid Waste Management
Schemes to be launched in metropolitan towns to begin with.
|
|
·
Use of CNG will
be encouraged.
|
|
·
Priority will be given
and incentives provided for the establishment of cottage industries on the
pattern of sports goods/cutlery/surgical instruments industries established in
Sialkot and Gujranwala.
|
|
·
To develop mineral
resources like fine quality Thar Coal, copper in Saindak, oil and gas in
Baluchistan including offshore oil exploration and other minerals like bauxite,
granite and marble etc.
|
|
·
To implement Karachi
Mass Transit Project.
|
|
·
To provide road
network in rural areas, launch Northern bye-pass Project, Karachi, tone up the
traffic management in urban areas and encourage private enterprise in road
transport sector.
|
(6) Guarantees
for security of life and property
The government and the state machinery have failed to protect the
life and property of the common man in the province of Sindh in particular and
other provinces in general. Broad day light extra-judicial killings, custodial
deaths, sectarian and communal murders, killings in religious sanctuaries,
tribal feuds resulting in gang rapes and massacre, dacoity, robbery, car
jacking, arson and terrorism have shattered the confidence of the people. MQM
proposes to grapple with the menace as under:
|
a)
According to the principle of Autonomy, maintenance of law and order
shall be the exclusive responsibility of the provincial governments. There shall
be no Federal interference in any form.
|
|
b)
All forces- federal and quasi federal for maintenance of law and order
shall work under Home Minister (treasury bench) through a Board comprising a
Member of provincial Assembly (from Opposition), Home Secretary and Chief of the
Provincial Police, also duly shared and supported by the local government. The
principle chain of command has got to be re-established.
|
|
c)
Police has utterly failed to provide protection to the common man and is
viewed as perpetrator of crime and lawlessness. No doubt it is indispensable for
any civilized society, but the culture of police station has got to be changed.
The police is required to transform its authoritative and coercive
conduct/behaviour into a people friendly and service oriented force. All the
police and administration have to be local having domicile of the province where
they serve.
|
|
d)
For each and every crime committed within his jurisdiction the station
house officer shall be held responsible and liable for punishment for
non-registration of first information report (FIR), or non-response to a
complaint and or non-detection of the crime and the criminal.
|
|
e)
Each PS will have a Police Monitoring Committee of elected
representatives that would keep the local Chairman of the elected Council fully
posted of the crime situation in their area for necessary action.
|
|
f)
Re-designate Provincial Special Branch as Provincial Intelligence Bureau
to become the ears and eyes of the Provincial Government. Its job will be to
assist the Law and Order Board( as proposed above), district/city Nazims and the
District Police Office for the maintenance of law and order and detection of
crime but not to prop up the City/District or Provincial Government.
|
|
g)
Executive Magistrate(s) for each District (for Chapter proceedings) may
be appointed to work under the superintendence and control of District
Coordination officer for the maintenance of law and order along with District
Police.
|
|
h)
Reconciliation Courts for minor offences will be established under each
City/District/Taluka/Union Chairman for discouraging litigation.
|
|
i)
Authorize all hospitals- private and public having more than 25 beds
indoor facility, for dealing with medico-legal cases.
|
|
j)
Establishment and linkage of Emergency Call Centres with all the Police
stations within the District and all District Police Offices with Provincial HQ.
|
|
k)
Improvement of Jails and its culture and establishment of Rehabilitation
Centres for the released prisoners.
|
|
l)
Parole system as in vogue in other civilized countries will be
introduced.
|
(7) Eradication
of a decadent feudal system
It is a proven fact that the seeds of democracy do not germinate in
a soil infested with the germs of authoritarianism, economic pauperism and
feudalism. To combat these evils we have already spelt out our priorities above.
Feudalism, the fountainhead of many vices, is major factor that
retards the economic growth and obstructs the development of socio-economic and
political institutions of the Country. Gang rapes, private jails, private jirga
courts, forced labour, gender discrimination, treatment of girls like chattels,
the marriages of minors with men of their grandfathers age, encroachment of
small farmers land, torture killings, denial of the rightful
share of the tenant, excess
withdrawal of irrigation water in connivance with Irrigation functionaries,
manipulation of revenue record with the help of patwari/tapedar, securing of
votes for assembly elections through threats and coercion, perpetuation of
vested interest in Assemblies to debar the unprivileged overwhelming majority
from participation in political activity, misuse of police and administration to
put the rivals behind bars, honour killing, brutal murders, family feud
resulting in arson, rapes and murders, outraging the modesty of opponents
womenfolk and parading them naked in open public places, creating cleavage
between rural and urban population, denial of education to the women and poor,
hold over the best educational institutions by a few, perpetuation of such
economic policies that widen the gap between rich and poor, socially treating
the teeming millions as their slaves etc are unending manifestations of
feudalism.
Half-hearted land
reforms have not created any dent on the unbridled exploitative powers of those
who have feudal mentality. Their constituencies remain intact, come what may,
they continue in dominating the Assemblies, and perpetuate and protect their
vested interest. A break through is thus needed to release the exploited masses
from the clutches of feudalism. Though a difficult task, MQM is determined to
pursue the path of dynamism so as to lay the foundation for an egalitarian
society and welfare state through some of the reforms that are listed below:
|
a)
Bureaucracy needs to be denuded of all the discretionary powers that go
to patronize the feudal.
|
|
b)
Land Commission in each province be created afresh that will ensure the
enforcement of such agrarian and land reforms that had been
introduced/legislated by the earlier governments but due to
politico-bureaucratic collusion could not be effected in letter and spirit.
|
|
c)
The Commission will ensure full protection to the beneficiaries of such
reforms so that the agricultural productivity is increased.
|
|
d)
To eliminate the feudal hold over the rural areas overwhelmed by small
farmers, measures have got to be adopted to provide alternative delivery system.
|
|
e)
Direct short term credit for seed, fertilizer, pesticide; medium term
loans for purchase of agriculture implements and installation of tube wells;
state land for regular large villages as in Punjab instead of small hamlets as
in Sindh; marketing without middlemen through private cooperatives and break-up
of the trio: (i) landlord; (ii) police and (iii) revenue/irrigation
functionary, will release the bulk of the disadvantaged/unprivileged from the
clutches of the dominant privileged minority.
|
|
f)
With the abolition of land revenue and related cesses and taxes, and
introduction of agriculture income tax, the system of progressive taxation as in
vogue in other sectors has got to be introduced.
|
|
g)
To protect the rare species of birds and animals, shooting/hunting be
allowed only under special rules. Providing hunting facilities to the
bureaucrats, the landlords and influential persons with their patronage,
perpetuate their tyrannical hold over the poor peasants. It is thus better to
establish sanctuaries/safari parks to protect the wildlife and endangered
species to attract tourists for providing income opportunities to the poor.
|
|
h)
Effective implementation of existing laws to punish the feudals who set
up their own private courts and jails.
|
|
i)
Combat the social menace of honour killing.
|
|
j)
Survey of most fertile riverian land specially in Sindh (within the
flood protective embankments on river Indus from Guddu to Thatta) spread over an
area of about 200,000 acres, mostly under unauthorized possession of big
landlords, for its permanent disposal to small landowners and to landless
cultivators. Ensure that the
distribution of produce between the landlord and cultivator is made on equal
basis strictly Stop misuse of forest. The
Divisional and Range Forest Officers in league with landlords allot big chunks
of non-surveyed lands to the landlords in the riverine areas on the pretext of
development and cause wrongful gain to both forest functionary and landlord.
|
Feudalism can only be banished
from the country by the sceptre that is made of three elements- education,
communication and decentralization. Spread of education to every nook and corner
of the country, bridging the communication/accessibility gap-through
infrastructure like roads, rails, airways; print and electronic media and
information technology and decentralization/delegation of power and authority to
the lowest unit of administration are the only three sure ways to eradicate the
evils of feudalism.