Pak generals never accepted Constitution & Parliament- PPP

In Pakistan leaders of oppossition parties are blaming the Pakistan Army for all wrong doings and the pathetic conditions of the country.  Addressing the fifth annual conference of South Asians Against Terrorism and for Human Rights (SAATH) in Islamabad, the Pakistan People’s Party spokesman and former Senator Farhatullah Babar said Pakistan’s parliament was unable to hold the military accountable. The “creeping coup” in Pakistan is a result of the powerful military trying to safeguard its economic interests which might not be protected in a federal and democratic system, he said.

“In their hearts, Pakistan’s generals do not accept the country’s Constitution. That is why they have built a national narrative that is against democratic values and puts the army above all institutions,” he said at the event from Pakistan through a video conference. Babar called for changing the basis of Pakistan’s relations with India, which he said had been predicated on the resolution of the Kashmir issue as Pakistan wants it. “If China and India can have trade relations despite their conflicts, why can’t Pakistan?” He asked, hinting that good relations with India would help advance democratic norms and civilian supremacy in Pakistan.

The former Senator said that the protests against the army that started in Pashtun tribal regions have now reached Punjab, the heartland of the Pakistan Army. “The hybrid regime is fighting a hybrid war against the people of Pakistan by curbs on media and freedom of expression,” he added. Mohsin Dawar, a member of the National Assembly from Waziristan and a leading figure in Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), said that the regime was trying to bring the Taliban back to power and to break the bond between the Pashtuns on both sides of the Durand Line. “If the political leaders fail, the people will definitely stand up against the dictatorship,” he observed.