Raza Rabbani vows to oppose military courts

Senate chief says state policies promoted sectarianism; minorities suppressed and history distorted intentionally

KARACHI: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani has said that he will sit in the upper house i.e. Senate and oppose the military courts bill.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a book launch of "Pakistan: Historical Legacies, Contemporary Issues", a compilation of essays and articles by Dr. Syed Jaffer Ahmed, jointly organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), S.M. Suhail Trust and Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, at the Arts Council Auditorium here on Sunday.

"I had voted in favour of military courts earlier though I did not want to." Raza Rabani spoke on critical issues the country is facing. He said the original objective of Pakistan has been destroyed with planning.

"The 11th August speech of Quaid-e-Azam was kept hidden for a long time. Gen. Zia, while amending the Constitution through the 8th Amendment, removed word 'freely' which we restored through the 18th Amendment."

He said textbooks have been designed in such a way that democracy has been maligned in them. The state through that kind of education wants to create citizens who do not realise the importance of democracy.

He said the state policies have promoted sectarianism. Minorities have been suppressed and history distorted intentionally. Senator Rabbani said the state is not in favour of any counter narrative. The state, instead, wants continuation of the old policy and narrative.

President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Rasheed A. Razvi said Dr. Jaffar are among the few people who writes the truth. There is consistency of the thought in the writings of Dr. Jaffar as he has done analysis of events right from 1857 mutiny to Martial Law of General Pervaiz Musharraf and the 18th Amendment in this book.

Jamaat-e-Islami and JUI parties in India are demanding secularism in India since 1947 but they are against secularism in Pakistan.

The author, Dr Jaffar, said the Pakistan Study Centre has published 63 books during his 18 year directorship. He said the establishment in Pakistan itself wants to have a counter narrative. "We are faced with third generation of terrorists. We need to highlight importance of democracy." 

Political weaknesses have created a gap between military and civil establishment. Former chief minister of Balochistan Dr. Abdul Malik said his association with Dr. Jaffar started from the days of General Ziaul Haq's martial law. He said he has learned a lot from Dr. Jaffar as a political worker.

He said during the 18th Amendment in the Constitution, he and some other parliamentarians had tried to include Quaid-e-Azam's 11th August speech as preamble. "We had tried to provide provincial autonomy but still there is resistance from the establishment."

Dr. Malik said political workers are marginalised and he feared that if this trend continues, only rich people can sit in the future assemblies. Religious extremism is being injected in Balochistan. "In my area, which is considered as secular, a large number of Jihadi madressahs are flourishing. "

He said Pakistan is still facing the same problems, which it faced at the time of independence. Many institutions are still reluctant to accept the supremacy of parliament, he said. Pakistan is a multinational and multilingual country and this fact must be accepted, Dr. Malik said.

Dr. Riaz Shaikh, Head of Social Sciences at the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, said Dr. Jaffar Ahmed is playing an important role for development of his students.

"We must appreciate the work done by the Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi, under Dr. Jaffar's leadership," said Dr. Shaikh. Dr. Jaffar has highlighted the 11th August speech of Quaid-e-Azam in his book and termed it Magna Carta.

He said the new narratives need to be included in the curriculum. Trade unions and students unions need to be allowed to function. Mahnaz Rahman, Resident Director Aurat Foundation, said the book provides an overview of struggles in South Asia. Dr. Jaffar terms the 1857 movement as start of the struggles in the united India.

Senior writer Zahida Hina read out her essay on the writings of Dr. Jaffar Ahmad. In his welcome address, PILER Executive Director Karamat Ali underlined the need for framing a People's Manifesto. He lauded the literary contribution of Dr. Jaffar Ahmed.