PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar on Monday said that the parliamentary form of government, supremacy of parliament and constitution, respect for the people mandate and politics of tolerance could make Pakistan a stable and peaceful state.
The seminar was organized by Awami National Party (ANP) here at the Bacha Khan Markaz in connection with death anniversaries of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan) and his son Khan Abdul Wali Khan.
The seminar, on moderation, extremism and Khudai Khidmatgar Movement, was addressed by veteran politician Makhdoom Javid Hashmi, a senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and former federal minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, senior journalists Hamid Mir and Salim Safi and provincial president of the ANP Aimal Wali Khan.
A large number of the ANP workers, nationalist writers and intellectuals were in attendance. ANP senior leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Senator Hidayatullah, Zahid Khan, provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak, Syed Aqil Shah, Hussain Shah Khan, Mukhtyar Khan and other ANP members were present on the occasion.
The participants paid glowing tributes to the contributions and services of Bacha Khan and Abdul Wali Khan in national politics. They lauded the non-violent philosophy and ideology of moderation and ideology and respect for democracy and constitution in the country politics.
Makhdoom Javid Hashmi said that some elements were once again trying to defame democratic institutions, including political parties and genuine politicians and spreading the politics of intolerance, opportunism and extremism in the country but the mainstream political parties would never allow these elements to play with the Constitution and Parliament.
“I am a witness to many historical events when attempts were made to create unrest and instability to harm the integrity and stability of Pakistan,” he said and added that Khan Abdul Wali Khan had played a very active role at the time of the framing of the 1973 Constitution, for strong federation and current parliamentary system.
He said the civil and military establishment had presented the ANP leadership and its workers as anti-Pakistan and agents of the neighbouring countries but in reality, the Pakhtun nationalists had rendered great services and sacrifices for a stable, democratic and peaceful Pakistan. Senior leader of PMLN Khawaja Mohammad Asif said that an attempt was being made to roll back the 18th Amendment to the Constitution and introduce a presidential form of government in the country.
“The presidential form of government had damaged Pakistan geography, integrity and stability in past,” he said and added the military dictators and their puppet rulers had supported this system for their vested interest. He said that unfortunately, the military rulers had introduced religious extremism, politics of intolerance and opportunity that led to political instability and unrest in the country.
The ANP leadership had opposed religious extremism, terrorism and militancy and the party leaders and workers had paid for that till recent past when the country was in the grip of militancy and terrorism, he explained. The PMLN leader said respect for the vote, people mandate and genuine political leadership could pull the country out of the current crisis, adding that all the state institutions must remain within their constitutional limits.
ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan said that Bacha Khan and his Khudai Khidmatgars had always called for a moderate, non-violent and democratic approach to serve the nation and humanity irrespective of their caste, religion and political affiliations. Similarly, he said, Khan Abdul Wali Khan had upheld the supremacy of Parliament, constitution and real democracy in the country during his political career. “It is the need of the hour to follow the non-violent philosophy of Bacha Khan and democratic vision of Khan Abdul Wali Khan,” he added.
Senior Journalists Hamid Mir and Salim Safi while referring to various books, magazines and interviews lauded the role of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan in the making of a moderate, educated and peace-loving nation and society.