No democracy at all: Mehmud Ali

Published August 12, 2005

LAHORE, Aug 11: Minister of State for Cabinet Division and Tehrik-i-Takmeel-i-Pakistan president Mahmud Ali does not find even the weakest form of democracy in the country.

“At present, the three prerequisites of democracy — legislature, judiciary and executive — are neither free nor independent,” the life minister told newsmen at a hotel here on Thursday.

“The present rulers are Qabza group. They have ruined the independence of the legislature, judiciary and executive and as a result failed to deliver,” Mr Ali said.

The minister said the nation would be celebrating its 59th independence day on Sunday without accomplishing the objectives for which the country was carved out.

“The need of the hour is to ascertain the reasons why we could not build a Pakistan according to the dreams of its founders,” he said urging the younger generation to dedicate themselves to build the country into a state as envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

“Self-reliance is the key to success. We can fulfil the dreams of the founders of the country only by depending on ourselves and not on the IMF and the World Bank which is the remote-controlled imperialism.

“We have been betrayed by our so-called friend especially in 1971 and 1965, but we still depend on it,” he said and added the dismemberment of the country was the result of an international conspiracy.

“Mujeebur Rahman never wanted dismemberment and he never said so. He used to address election rallies with the Holy Quran in his hands, swearing that he did not want dismemberment. The people of the East Pakistan were not asked whether they wanted dismemberment. American secret papers made public recently also endorse it,” the minister said.

Regarding confidence building measures and ongoing peace process with India, Mahmud Ali said Pakistan wanted to establish good ties with every country but not at the cost of its own sovereignty.

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