Dr. Farooq Sattar in "Awami
Adaalat" in Washington DC (Aug-08-03)
Muttahida Qaumi Movement's MNA from Landhi Dr Farooq Sattar has urged
opposition parties to stop forcing the president to divest his uniform. He was
speaking at a "Awami Adaalat" gathering in Washington DC organized by the MQM
Washington Metro Unit on the party's 25th anniversary. Te gathering was
well-attended by the workers and supports of the MQM. The MQM's leader said the
present system was not ideal but "even an incomplete and moth-eaten democracy
was better than no democracy."
He also urged the opposition parties not to waste their energies on the demand
for abolishing the Legal Framework Order because "even removing the LFO will not
ensure that there will be no threat to democracy in the future." Dr Sattar said
that in 1999, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had already removed the Eighth
Amendment, becoming the most powerful prime minister in Pakistan's history. "But
in less than 10 months after he removed the Eighth amendment, the parliament was
dismissed and Mr Sharif was sacked." "LFO or no LFO, uniform or no uniform,"
said Mr. Sattar, "democracy will remain weak so long as democratic institutions
are not strengthened."
Mr Sattar said that the same religious leaders "saw no harm in accepting, even
kissing, Gen Zia's uniform. Then why this aversion to Musharraf's uniform? If
you believe in a principle, apply it equally to all." "You cannot say that the
LFO is OK for participating in elections, even for filing your nomination papers
for the prime minister's post, as Maulana Fazlur Rahman did. But when that
process is over, it should be thrown out," he added. Mr Sattar urged Pakistan's
religious parties to stop doing new "experiments with the country every day. In
the present international scenario, the country cannot afford such experiments."
The MQM leader said that in a country where "prime ministers are tailored to
meet the needs of the establishment and parliaments are made on order, you
cannot have political stability." He suggested three basic changes for bringing
stability to the country: a consistent and sustainable fiscal development
policy, constitutional and political reforms and devolution of power and
resources. Mr Sattar said that unless the federation's powers were decentralized
and resources distributed equally, there would be no justice and no stability.
He said the government took "a 180-degree somersault" when it dumped the Taliban
after the 9-11 incident. "A similar decision is now needed to ban jihadi
activities at home," he added. The MQM leader also urged the government to
resolve the Kashmir dispute peacefully because unless it is resolved "we will
continue to waste our precious resources on unproductive activities."
In the end of the program, Nigran-e-Alaa MQm Washington DC Mr. Riaz Siddiqui
(Uncle) presented MQM's flag colored scarf to Ms. Bushra Rehman wife of MQM
USA's Central Organizer Mr. Ibad U. Rehman. Program was attended by several
journalists and TV representatives.
