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National Conference demands rights for Sindh,
Balochistan
By Razzak Abro
KARACHI: Speakers at the National Conference organised by the Awami
Tehreek have said on Sunday that implementation of the 1940
Resolution in letter and spirit is necessary for resolving national
and democratic question in the country.
The conference titled ‘National and democratic question in Pakistan
and ways and means for uprooting terrorism and lawlessness’ was held
at a local hotel where leaders of political parties and civil
society belonging to all four provinces were present including
Sindh-based parties, the PML-N, Pakhtoonkhuwa Milli Awami Party,
National Workers Party, Jamhoori Watan Party and different NGOs.
However, the representatives of ruling parties such as the PPP, MQM
and ANP were not seen on the occasion.
Delivering his presidential speech, Awami Tehreek chief Rasool Bux
Palijo said that all the federating units have been declared as
independent states in the 1940 Resolution. He regretfully said that
the country has never followed this resolution since its inception.
He said that the establishment of the country has been using smaller
provinces against Punjab in the past, and now Punjab is being used
against smaller provinces.
Palijo said that the state had adopted ‘destroy Sindh and its
people’ policy, under which the people of Sindh have been deprived
of their fundamental, constitutional rights. He said that the US was
responsible for religious extremism in the region.
Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party leader Dr Qadir Magsi said that the 1973
Constitution was not serving the interests of smaller provinces and
now a new social contract is needed for them. He said that now the
grievances of the smaller provinces could not be addressed by
abolishing the Concurrent List alone. According to him, Sindh has
suffered a lot and Sindhis are facing threats to their existence.
Referring to the influx of the IDPs from Swat and other troubled
areas of NWFP and FATA, he said that the local people would not
accept this at any cost, as the influx of outsiders may result in
them becoming a minority in their own land.
PML-N’s Siddiqueul Farooq said that all of the problems the country
is facing nowadays are because of the never-ending violations of the
Constitution, and military takeovers in the country. Referring to
the movement of the IDPs to other parts of the country, he said that
they could move and settle in any part of the country according to
the Constitution.
Daily
Times: Monday ,May 25,2009
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