PESHAWAR: Politicians in a seminar on Monday unanimously rejected the presidential system of government in the country terming it detrimental to the national solidarity and integrity.

The event was organised by the opposition Awami National Party (ANP) here in connection with the Bacha Khan Week organised to mark the death anniversary of the leader of non-violence movement in the Indian subcontinent.

Veteran politician Javed Hashmi, PML-N leader MNA Khwaja Mohammad Asif, ANP provincial chief Aimal Wali Khan and journalists addressed it.

Mr Hashmi said the supporters of the presidential form of government were betraying the country.

ANP holds seminar in Peshawar to mark Bacha Khan Week

He said Pakistan had already suffered due to the presidential system.

The senior politician said the idea of the presidential system was not Prime Minister Imran Khan’s and that such plans were generated ‘somewhere else’.

He said the people, who had made a struggle for democracy and supremacy of the Constitution in the country, were treated as traitors.

Mr Hashmi said Bacha Khan was a strong believer of Pakistan after its creation. He said the personality of Bacha Khan taught us bravery, courage and tolerance. The veteran politician said the Pakhtun leader took oath as a member of the assembly after Independence.

“If this is not loyalty to the country, then what else this is,” he said.

Mr Hashmi said Bacha Khan could not be compared with Qauid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

He said Bacha Khan was a stalwart among leaders of the time.

The veteran politician said issues could be resolved through dialogue. He said that Pakistan had suffered due to religious extremism.

PML-N leader Khwaja Asif said tolerance had vanished from national politics. He said the institutions, which couldn’t take part in politics, were involved in ‘ultra-constitutional’ activities.

He said military dictators had imposed the presidential form of government in the country for 35 years.

Mr Asif said the dictators introduced the Legal Framework Order and conducted referendum to prolong their unconstitutional rule in the country.

He said the supremacy of the Constitution, parliament and respect for vote could make Pakistan stable.

“After the PTI’s defeat in the first phase of local body elections in KP, efforts are’’ being made to postpone the second phase of polls,” he said.

The PML-N leader said the PTI had lost the office of Peshawar’s mayor in elections, which showed its incapability.

He called for the grant of autonomy to the provinces.

ANP leader Aimal Wali Khan said Pakistan and the entire South Asian region needed to follow the philosophy of Bacha Khan.

He said religious extremism was on the rise and democracy was being mocked at in the country.

“In such a situation, the society needs to follow the philosophy of non-violence and Pakistan direly needs democracy, which is propagated by Bacha Khan,” he said.

Mr Aimal gave credit to late Khan Abdul Wali Khan for the present day Pakistan and said the ANP workers would keep the philosophy of non-violence alive.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2022