QUESTION:

Is it true there has become monopoly of one party particularly its leadership, after the 14th amendment in the Constitution? An elected member may give opinion in the parliamentary party meeting, but can not do so in the Assembly. What does Jama’at say about this law?

ANSWER:

The day the present government has come to power, it has continuously resorted to enactment and amendments aimed solely at erecting protection walls and barriers, so that the "chair" be strong. In fact justice is required if one seeks lasting power. Through these steps, the rulers are making themselves more and more isolated. It seems ultimately, only the family members will be left there. When the party and the people are no more happy, the laws will be rendered useless. If one looses general public support, then even a majority in the Parliament does not work, because then the rulers are besieged there, surrounded from outside by the multitude of masses and finding no way to escape.

The 14th amendment is aimed at nothing more than concentrating all decision-making powers in the hands of a person or a clique, which, through some accident of history or fully of the party members, has climbed to the seat of leadership. Through such action this leadership has only proved that it considers the whole lot of its members as simple bunch of mindless individuals, devoid of any conscience to listen to. Ironically the People’s Party also seem to be happy with the amendment. That amply clarifies where the two so-called "major" parties stand with respect to democratic values.

We certainly favor party discipline and strongly condemn the practice of horse-trading. We, however, do not agree to the use of these pretests for usurping the freedom of expression and making the peoples’ representations as thoughtless rubber stamps, who are now asked to follow the leadership even if it was wrong and unjust.