Speakers at a meeting of Shura Hamdard Karachi chapter have stressed upon the need of national unity, dialogue, free and fair elections and formation of national government to overcome the challenges, facing by Pakistan.
The meeting was held on Thursday on the subject of "National Tragedies and Pakistan", presided over by the Chief Justice of Federal Shariah Court, Justice Haziqul Khairi at a local hotel. Mrs Sadia Rashid, President, Shura Hamdard Pakistan and Hamdard Foundation Pakistan was also present at the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion former ambassador of Pakistan, Mahdi Masud said that of many challenges facing Pakistan, two were most important; the tasks of establishing a lasting democratic order and of overcoming the deadly scourge of terrorism. To achieve the first task our political parties should try to reach an understanding from now on to form after the elections schedule for February 18, 2008, a national unity government for overcoming the serious challenge facing the country.
He said such a national government would also be in a stronger position to reach with the problems arising out of the war against terror. This would need not only military measures if negotiation continue to fail with the militants.
"What is more important is the need of a mass campaign to persuade the people of the serious dangers for Pakistan and Islamic world forms all fames of terrorism, extremism and, intolerance", he said, adding that without securing the full co-operation and understanding of our people it would not be possible to crash the malaise of terrorism.
'Mao-Ze Dong had said in another context that "guerrillas can operate only with the help of a friendly population". Similarly in order to defeat the mindless terrorists, suicide bombers and others, it is essential to 'deprive them of the sympathy of their communities without whose support and co-operation the terrorists cannot operate' he asserted.
Professor Shamim Akhtar said that the problem of terrorism and extremism could not be solved through military measures and in the context of Pakistan it would not solve unless American and Nato forces would leave Afghanistan.
Pakistan is not only the victim of terrorism but every country of this region is also facing somehow same situation. Sri Lanka has Tamil problem. Tamil were settled there near about two centuries ago. They are in southern India and as well as in Sri Lanka. The same situation is in our province of NWFP. Pukhtoon are in NWFP and in Afghanistan as well, he said adding that the problem of terrorism in Ireland was 600 years old and as a sequel many people were killed there in bomb blasts.
He was of the view that when Pakistani nation had solved the old problem of 'Qadyaniate' it would be able to solve the problem of terrorism and extremism.
Advocate Sami Ahmed, former president, Sindh Bar Council was of the opinion that the root causes of terrorism were, complete democracy and rule of law was not established and as a result poverty, hunger and extremism gone up in our country. Extremism was started in General Zia regime when Afghan Jihad was started. But their activities were confined to Afghanistan only, he added.
Suggesting the solution of controlling the extremism and terrorism he said the only way was the national consensus of all political parties and leaders on national issues and controlling of terrorism and extremism.
Justice Haziqul Khairi, Chief Justice, Federal Shariah Court said that the nation should unit like a wall against the extremism and terrorism as it had united on the occasions of 1965 war and earthquake of October 2005.
Engineer Anwarul Haq Siddiqui stressed upon the need of shifting the country from military democracy to national democracy and to form national government to stop national tragedies and to control terrorism and extremism in the country. Through democratic traditions and education friendly society Pakistan could march on the road of progress, he added.
Haq Nawaz Akhtar said, being a bureaucrat he had seen that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were deadly against each other, but for strengthening the national cause they joined hands. Other politicians should do the same in the larger national interest, he added.-PR