ISLAMABAD, June 13: In the wake of the growing confusion and political uncertainties that loom large on the country’s horizon, despite the fact that people have spoken through the February 18 vote, there are tidings of a new progressive party emerging on the national scene with the clear objective of challenging the untenable status quo and returning power to the people through a broad democratic movement so that all sections of the deprived classes may have a share in governance and socio-economic justice is established ending decades of elitist rule and exploitation of the working people at the hands of the corrupt and degenerate ruling class which has reduced the country to its present unenviable position.

The news of the decision to form the party was broken to Dawn by the spokesman for the progressive groups, Dr Hassan Nasir, who had returned after a two-day meeting in Lahore of 70 representatives of various progressive parties and groups from all over Pakistan including the Inqilabi Jamhoori Workers Committee, Jamhoori Tehreek Pakhtunkhwa, Jagrita Forum Sindh, Jamhoori Workers Committee Balochistan, National Workers Party, Pakistan Socialist Party, Pakistan Forum for Social Democracy, Qaumi Mahaz-i-Azadi and Sindh National Council.

The participants have agreed in principle on the formation of a new political party in the coming months.

“This is a major development warranted by the absolute political mayhem the people have been watching helplessly since the elections”, said Dr Hassan Nasir.

He said the process of consultations to form a broad national party was initiated about two years ago to have as wide a representative structure as possible by inviting all those to join forces who wanted to end the elite capture of the state and make Pakistan a modern, just and progressive society with equal opportunities for all. The purpose of the proposed broad-based democratic political party, he said was to challenge and change the untenable status quo.

When asked how the new party proposed to achieve these objectives, Dr Nasir said, it was felt that the need to immediately introduce land and agricultural reforms was urgent and critical if the vestiges of the feudal system were to be removed. The economy needed to invest in and facilitate large scale industrialisation including agro-based industry while granting maximum autonomy to the provinces to exercise control over their resources and devolve economic and political power to the grassroots, ensure food security, law and order, mass literacy, education and healthcare for every citizen of Pakistan. This could not be done without setting new priorities for the nation and drastically reducing non-productive expenditure across the board especially on military and bureaucracy. The elimination of the ostentatious lifestyle of the ruling elite was a socially desirable goal to end corruption, he said.

Asked how the new force viewed the country’s present ties with the outside world, Dr Nasir said the matter was thoroughly discussed at the meeting. The participants agreed that the country’s sovereignty must be freed from the control of external imperialist forces and the international financial institutions. For this, change was necessary which only a new political force with such national perceptions and established on broad-based democratic principles and believing in pro-people growth and development ensuring equal rights for workers, peasants, middle class professionals, traders and local industrialists could bring about. This was the only option left for the survival of Pakistan.

The meeting decided to lend full support to the lawyers’ movement for restoration of judiciary as the first step in the struggle for the rule of law under the constitution, independence of judiciary, supremacy of the parliament and the disengagement of military from politics.

An organising committee comprising 20 representatives of the participating parties and groups was given the task of preparing the manifesto, constitution and organisational structure of the proposed party. Dr Nasir said the committee would also be reaching out to all progressive, liberal, nationalist parties, groups and individuals as well as trade unions, peasants, students, religious minorities and women organisations in order to build a mass democratic party.

Prominent among those who attended the meeting were Dr Hasan Nasir, who was also appointed as interim coordinating secretary until the party convention was organised, Advocate Akhtar Hussain, Azhar Jameel, Khwaja Saleem, Malik Khoso, Zia Bhatti, Ramzan Memon, Asif Shah, Punhal Sario, Anwar Durrani, Shakeel Ahmed Mohmand, Umer Baloch, Shoaib Bhatti, Shehla Tariq, Ashfaq Saleem Mirza, Rao Tariq Latif and Harris Khalique.