The resolution of the extraordinary meeting of the Central Shura` of Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan notes with satisfaction that dissolution of the national assembly and dismissal of the corrupt, cruel and treacherous government of People’s Party by the President, on the night of 4-5 November, 1996, was greeted with enthusiasm all over the country. The resolution further expressed that the three-years rule of People’s Party could offer to the masses only high inflation, un-employment, lawlessness, and widespread corruption and kick-backs. Citizens were deprived of their basic human rights. The President, the judiciary and the Pak. Army were made the target of un-wanted and baseless criticism. Thousands lost their lives in fake police encounters. The Islamic foundation and religious identity of Pakistan were seriously damaged. The ousted government had become a torment and nuisance for the people and a risk for the security and ideology of the country. These are some reasons that the extreme Presidential action has been hailed by the people with satisfaction and jubilance.

People have greeted and accepted the dismissal, with the clear understanding that:

* it will rid the country of the deep rooted corruption;

* those found corrupt will be subjected to severe accountability, irrespective of their position and status;

* the public money and property will be recovered from the plunderers; and

* the promised forthcoming elections will result into a sincere capable, honest and faithful leadership.

The action of ousting the government under clear charges, has increased the responsibility of the President. All country loving patriotic elements of the society will extend their full support for uprooting corruption and providing a clean government. Mr. Meraj Khalid, though long associated with the People’s Party, has, for his relative clean past, been accepted as caretaker Prime Minister, yet the structure of his Cabinet has created many doubts. The nation was awaiting eagerly the Presidential address after his action, but that when telecast at 11.00 p.m. on the 5th of November, only repeated what was known through the Presidential order. Important points were not touched.

The Resolution of the Shura` notes that a serious crime of the previous government was that it martyred innocent young workers of Jamaat-e-Islami in the protest rally on June 24. In total violation of the orders of the High Court and to block the peaceful protest procession of October 27, the government cut off all means of access to Islamabad, virtually isolating it from the whole country. No train was allowed to reach Rawalpindi. Roads were blocked. For many days the life of the people was made miserable. Everywhere, trains and buses were searched and in total disregard of law and constitutional rights every bearded person was arrested. Mobile phones and pagers were closed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Poisonous and prohibited gas shells were fired, in thousand, on peaceful processions and people were lathi-charged. Thousands of innocent people were put in jails. In Lahore, Mohammad Yousaf, a Jamaat worker, was martyred in front of the party’s central office. Against the advice of President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari and the Acting President, Wasim Sajjad and in total violation of the clear orders of the Court, personnel of the law enforcement agencies were brought to Islamabad and Rawalpindi by thousands and given free hand to break the law and constitutional provisions. It is, however, not known, why the President could not make even a passing reference to these heinous crimes in his charge sheet against Benazir government.

As provided in the Constitution, the President has fixed February 3, 1997 to conduct new elections within the 90-days period. Because of mass scale rigging in the elections in the past and use of wealth amassed through unlawful and contraband means, the nation expected the President will reveal steps to make the election process clean and transparent. It was also expected that establishment of an effective machinery for accountability will be announced in the Presidential address. People thought, the President will tell about actions to lesson the unbearable tax burden, brought about by the anti-people budget of June, 1996 and the subsequent mini-budgets of the previous government, as a result of which cost of living rose to unbearable heights; electricity tariff was raised by 25% and rail fare increased by 10%. For the first time in the history of the country, all the opposition political parties and the trading community made a general strike call observed on August 10 throughout the country as a protest against inflation, corruption, injustice and imposition of exorbitant taxes. The government however, took no note and further increased the prices of petrol and diesel. Wheat, floor prices were also raised. Deficit financing was done through printing new currency notes. The President was compelled to direct Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan to take action to arrest inflation. Nothing was however, done. Rupee was continuously devalued, reaching to the extent of 28 percent decrease during the 3 years of Benazir government. It also happened for the first time that in sheer violation of the Constitution, the Governor State Bank announced a mini-budget from his office on 22 October, 1996, which among other also proposed additional taxes to the tune of Rs 13 billion.

This mini-budget was imposed under the pressure exerted by the International Monetary Fund. The previous government has practically mortgaged the country against the external loans. By surrendering before the IMF and WTO conditionalities, Pakistan was made a free market for international commodities that ruined the local industry. The agriculture sector was also destroyed, as evident from the mass-scale import of even primary commodities like cereals, potatoes, onion, pulses and sugar. A country-wide strike was observed against this mini-budget on October 26, but the government paid no attention to popular demands and was rather bent upon further tormenting the nation.

Practically, there was no governance, it was rather lawlessness that ruled. Killing the political opponents became a usual practice. Government itself conspired to instigate sectoral violence. Firing in Karachi and Melsi, resulting in 27 deaths, and then martyring 21 innocent prayers in a Multan mosque during the morning hours, were clearly intended at such violence. Despite tall claims, government failed to trace and arrest the killers.

The whole country was shook with grief when late Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Ashiq Jatoi alongwith six others were killed by the police. People were alarmed that if police could kill the brother of a sitting Prime Minister, then who was safe? Benazir Bhutto has been threatening to reveal secrets regarding the incident, yet she is not telling the Judicial Tribunal who killed her brother.

During the term of the previous regime, Pakistan surfaced to the top of the few corrupt countries in the world rated next only to one. Well known for their corruption and malpractices, 15 new ministers and ministers of state were inducted in the Cabinet, unwarrantedly. Asif Zardari, the Prime Minister’s spouse, known to be the most corrupt of the country, was also made federal minister and assigned the portfolio of Investments.

Seeing the nation was demanding accountability, the government, without first properly informing the President as provided in the Constitution, sent an accountability bill to the national assembly, aimed in fact, at black mailing the sacred constitutional authorities.

Contrary to the decision of the High Court, the government failed to re-institute the local bodies. The government rather dissolved these bodies, when these were restored through a court order. Resources of the local bodies were used by the government to meet its own political ends.

Government in Azad Kashmir was usurped by People’s Party as a result of grossly rigged elections. Because of weak stand taken by the government, India has installed modern radar system and missile batteries on the Pakistan border. Sialkot and Neelam sectors are constantly subjected to Indian firing. India has thrust upon us an undeclared war. Under the shadow of 7 lakh strong army the Indians succeeded in staging the fake elections show in the Occupied Kashmir; our government meanwhile was busy extending trade relations with India and willing to declare it most favoured nation. Such steps strengthened, the common apprehensions that the government had probably struck a deal with India on the Pakistan’s nuclear policy and Kashmir issue under the Western pressure. Speaking at the General Assembly of U.N., Benazir Bhutto made the awkward and silly proposal of multi-national conference, rather than stressing upon the plebiscite.

In the wake of such internal and external threats, the official media was busy propagating obscenity, indecency and immodesty in the country, astraying the whole young generation.

The government was privatising the nationalised educational institution, knowing fairly well that it will commercialise education and children belonging to the poor and middle classes will not be able to pay the high cost and stay deprived.

The sacredness of the representative assemblies was rendered worthless. During the hearing in the High Court of petition filed by Mian Manzoor Wattoo, the assembly members were kidnapped and scattered all over the country. Some were even sent abroad; it was the climax of horse-trading.

This was the background in which President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari used his constitutional powers, dissolving the assembly and dismissed the government, an action widely praised. Yet, to make this action really fruitful, the meeting of the Jamaat Shura demands the President to immediately initiate the following steps:

1. To ensure free, judicious and impartial elections, a permanent, competent and fully independent new Election Commission be constituted, which should be composed of the sitting or retired judges of the Supreme Court. Its members should work whole time and during their tenure should not be assigned any other responsibility. The Commission should immediately undertake correction of the voters’ lists, because the current lists are incomplete and erroneous. To discharge its responsibility, the Commission should be given adequate funds. General census stands postponed since 1981. Proper arrangements be made to carry out census under the supervision of the army. Identity cards be checked and bogus cards rejected. Those still waiting should be issued the I.D. cards. I.D. Card presentation be made compulsory in polling votes. In the party-based elections, independents should no more be allowed to contest, because such elected members frequently change sides and upset the political process. No one should be allowed to contest on more than one seat, except that someone intends both for the national and provincial assembly. There should be a limit of expenditure for election campaign and those who spend in excess should be disqualified. Elections both to the national and provincial assemblies be held on the same day. Only those candidates be allowed to contest who qualify on the basis of articles 62 and 63 of the constitution. For this purpose the Election Commission should provide a mechanism to scrutinize all candidates within a given period. Even if an elected member is found violating the said articles, he or she should be declared disqualified. An Ordinance should be brought to stop floor crossing. ELECTIONS SHOULD BE HELD UNDER THE SYSTEM OF PROPORTIONATE REPRESENTATION.

2. A high powered judicial Accountability Commission be constituted, which should scrutinize on continuous basis, cases of the members of parliament, government officials and employees of the public sector agencies and organizations. Members of the Accountability Commission be drawn from the sitting and retired judges of Supreme Court and High Courts. The Commission should first take up the cases relating to previous governments. This operation should start immediately. The property of those found guilty of misusing their positions and making illicit gains by misappropriating national wealth, should be confiscated and given exemplary punishment. Such people should be permanently debarred from taken part in elections.

3. Those inducted into the interim set-up, should first offer themselves for accountability. Ministers of the interim government should declare their assets. It should be ascertained that they qualify against articles 62 and 63. Those disqualifying should be asked to leave the cabinet.

4. Official media should be stopped preaching indecency and immodesty particularly on the television. All political parties should receive adequate coverage on the media.

5. The mini-budget thrust by the previous government should be taken back. Effective measures be adopted to bring down high costs and unemployment. The General Sales Tax should be taken back immediately.

6. No external pressures be accepted in respect of our nuclear and Kashmir policies.

7. Those arrested for protesting against the previous government should be immediately released and cases registered against them be withdrawn.

8. For all those innocent citizens, who faced the torments of the previous government, and were either killed or injured and sent to jails for no good reason, an investigation commission be constituted on the pattern of late Mir Murtaza’s case and justice done to the aggrieved.

The Majlis ash-Shura` decided that the Jama`at-e-Islami will initiate a movement of mass contact to push forward the above said demands.

In its resolution the Majlis ash-Shura’ also expressed, that if the President did not take the steps proposed then mere dissolution of the assembly and sacking of the government will not solve the problems. Whereas it is necessary to hold elections within the period as stipulated in the Constitution, it was also equally necessary to ensure that the Elections should prove a means to bring forward a better and acceptable leadership. People have seen enough; they are fed up and they cannot take any more burdens. The masses are in no mood to tolerate corruption and corrupt people. Every passing day is precious. No more time should be wasted in ridding the people and the country of the mess, that they are in.