Speakers of a seminar on "East Pakistan Debacle and Our Contemporary Responsibilities" at the Punjab University Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) have said that linguistic differences has played key role in the creation of East Pakistan and it is high time to focus on education in order to avoid future incidents. They also urged the political parties should develop a democratic culture within the parties.
Former Minister of Local Government Punjab Brigadier Hamid Saeed Akhtar (Retd), Additional Commissioner Inland Revenue Syed Mahmud H Jafri and an Eminent analyst Farrukh Sohail Govindi were the key note speakers. Punjab University Professor Emeritus Dr Khawaja Muhammad Zakaria was the chief guest on the occasion.
CSAS Director Professor Dr Muhammad Saleem Mazhar presented the welcome address. Hamid Saeed Akhtar discussed in detail the long-term and short-term historical factors that led to the creation of BD. He was of the view that unless the feudalism is rooted out, no country can make progress.
Syed Mahmud Jafri said that the concept of power sharing needs to be understood. The implications of six points of Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rehman are important event to this date, as Balochistan is a clear example of this case, if we replace oil of Balochistan by Jute. He said that the language controversy (which was started in 1948) played a crucial role in the creation of Bangladesh and apart from this, ethnicity, social and cultural factors have also played a greater role in the separation.
Farrukh Sohail Govindi while focusing on future said that if we as a nation did not learn any lesson from East Pakistan Debacle, then God forbids, we will loose Balochistan also. We should listen to the problems of Balochis and try to solve their differences in order to calm down them.
Professor Dr Khawaja M Zakaria said that no doubt so many factors led to the debacle of East Pakistan; still it is the need of hour that we as a nation must fully realise our responsibilities. The constitution of 1973 should be implemented in its true letter and spirit and the leaders should be loyal to it. It is the high time that we should educate our youth in real sense. He said that the youth should become pro-active and should not lose their sense of faith. He was of the view that youth should be given compulsory military training.