The basic duty of army is to protect the country and not to rule it, said speakers of a seminar here on Friday evening. The seminar on "East Pakistan Fall and dangers lying in future" was organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami at a local hotel.
Ex-Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice (Retd) Sajjad Ali Shah, who also presided over the moot, in his address said the anti-Pakistan forces were behind the Fall of East Pakistan, adding the United States, Russia, India and Israel were leading those forces.
He alleged that those forces were still in the field to harm the solidarity of the remaining Pakistan. Sajjad Ali Shah said it was a fact that massive atrocities were meted out to the people of the then East Pakistan, and added the day of December 16 was a mourning day for all of us.
He said that what could be said about the future of a country whose constitution was in limbo and democracy wound up, adding the real duty of army was to protect and safeguard the country and not to rule it. Sajjad Ali Shah warned that the causes that led towards cessation of the East Pakistan still prevailed and there were grave threats for the existence and solidarity of the country.
He expressed deep concern that despite this scenario the rulers were fanning dangerous issues like that of the Kalabagh Dam, instead of promoting and developing the national unity and integrity. It was the need of the hour to revive a real democracy in the country and send army back to the barracks, he added.
JI Pakistan Naib Amir Senator Professor Ghafoor Ahmed speaking as the chief guest said the wound of December 16 1971 was yet to heal, adding that every citizen was praying that the country might be saved from such other wounds in future. He said the then East Pakistan used to provide 70 percent revenue to the country through production of jute, but in return its citizens got 700 percent injustice.
Professor Ghafoor recalled that on the December 16, 1971, the people in the whole country were weeping and hearths in their houses remained cold. He said that Indira Gandhi boasted that just within a quarter century they had split the Pakistan into two and in the next 25 years it would be further divided into many parts.
He said that we should have learned from this great tragedy, and warned that if the dictatorial rule prevailed, the country might face another tragedy. He charged that the army in past had failed to protect the country, and in future also it could not do so without active support and backing of the masses.
Professor Ghafoor said the present rulers while taking over reins of power had announced a seven-point agenda before the nation and today even after passage of six year not a single point of this agenda was achieved.
He said the Kalabagh Dam was never in the seven-point agenda of the present rulers, and alleged the rulers to cover up their failure to revive democracy had blown up the issue of Kalabagh Dam.
He said the alarming level of poverty, price hike and joblessness still prevailed and more than 50 percent of population was forced to live beneath the poverty line. The Shahrah-e-Faisal used to be made a no-go area for citizens when the so-called popular leaders were in the city, he added.
Pakistan Muslim League-N leader and Sindh ex-governor Mamnoon Hussain said the Fall of East Pakistan was the darkest chapter of the history of Pakistan, and charged the history of the East Pakistan was being repeated in Wana and North Wazirstan.
Comments
Comments are closed.