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Manifesto –
1990
[Peoples Democratic
Alliance (PDA)]
PREAMBLE
The sudden and arbitrary dissolution of the
National Assembly by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, the consequent ouster of
the four Provincial Assemblies and the one sided accountability has
plunged the nation into a grave crisis. It has again become obvious that
the ruling elite has no intention of allowing an elected Government to
consolidate itself and or to solve the real problems of the people.
The timing of these actions is particularly
unfortunate. Within the country, the federation is faced with divisive
pulls from ethnic, linguistic and regional pressure groups. Externally the
enemy is concentrating on our borders in a bid to dampen the struggle of
the Kashmiri people. The situation in the gulf also poses a serious
challenge not only to Pakistan but to the entire Muslim Ummah.
It is a moment of destiny for the people of
Pakistan. given a visionary national leadership imbued with the spirit of
Islam, Pakistan can emerge domestically strong and internationally
respected. These were the imperatives that brought together the Pakistan
Peoples Party, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqah-e-Jafaria, Tehrik-e-Istiqlal and
Pakistan Muslim League on the common platform of the Peoples Democratic
Alliance. The PDA committed to the preservation of the territorial
integrity and solidarity of the country stands for a just and equitable
society where there is no want or hunger, where there is no exploitation
those who control the levers of power, where the real power is exercised
by the representatives of the people. By proposing devolution of state
authority to local elected institutions, the PDA has chosen participative
democracy as truly reflective of People’s will. We believe this is the
Pakistan that was visualized by Allama Mohammed Iqbal and the Pakistan
that was fought for and created by Quaid-e-Azam.
We have a vision for the nation that would
ensure justice to our people, which shall allow them to live in peace and
prosperity. We look ahead to the challenges of the 21st Century
with a programme that is both revolutionary and pragmatic. The five
guiding principles of our alliance are:
1- UNEMPLOYMENT
PDA considers unemployment as the most
important problem facing the people to solve this problem expeditiously:-
Job opportunities will be created through
large scale public sector development projects. In rural areas special
efforts will be made to improve communication, provide drinking water and
electricity, combat water logging and salinity and initiate schemes in
health and education. The guiding principles behind this effort would be
both infra structure development and the provision of employment to the
unemployed.
Rapid industrialization will be the leading
edge of our economic policy with the dual purpose of developing the nation
as well as providing large scale employment.
After the above programs have been launched
those still left jobless will be given unemployment allowance by reforming
the Zakat Ordinance.
Every year 60,000 to 80,000 unemployed will
receive technical and teacher training. Stipends will be paid during the
period of training.
Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s)
generating employment will be given assistance by the government.
"KAREGAR BANK" will be set up to
give loans to artisans, educated unemployed and other jobless people to
start small businesses.
2- RURAL POOR
Large majority of our people who are poor
and live in the rural areas suffer the dual misery of economic deprivation
and exploitation by the rural elite and local bureaucracy. Justice is both
distant and capricious whereas the terror unleashed by the police and the
patwari is immediate and arbitrary. PDA proposes to implement
revolutionary changes which devolve real state power tot he local elected
representatives.
The following steps shall be taken:
a. To alleviate the suffering caused to the
people by the bureaucracy and the police, Rural courts shall be
established consisting of elected Union council members to adjudicate
upon defined civil, criminal and revenue cases. This measure would
provide quick and cheap justice and spare the people the agony of false
cases and false evidence.
b. Local Dehi police force controlled and
appointed by the Union councils shall be created to both assist the
rural courts and to serve as deterrence to crime.
c. Management of Government schools and
hospitals in the rural areas will be democratized.
d. To alleviate the suffering caused to
the people by the patwari, a copy of all land records shall be available
at the Union Council headquarters for open public scrutiny as well as
obtaining of copies. Any change in the land record would in the first
instance be challengable before the local revenue court which shall
consist of Union Council members.
e. A Kissan Bank will be established to
give credit to the rural landless and small farmers.
f. To deter forcible ejectment of
tenants, it shall be made a criminal offense.
g. All houses occupied by the landless
and other artisans, etc. in the "Abadi Deh" shall be
transferred to them on ownership basis.
h. Employment opportunities will be
generated for rural women.
3- URBAN POOR
The condition of the urban poor is
deplorable. Inadequate housing, poor health and education facilities,
inefficient and expensive public transportation and the ubiquitous
presence of the state machinery combine to create a horrific existence.
PDA, consistent with its policy of devolving real power to the
representatives of the people proposes the following measures:
a. On the manner of local / rural courts,
ward courts shall be established in the urban areas to adjudicate upon
specified civil, criminal and revenue cases. The purpose of this measure
is the same as in the rural areas to provide quick and cheap justice to
the people to rid them of lengthy trials and false cases.
b. Control and supervision of the
Government educational and health institutions shall be democratized and
decentralized.
c. Special attention will be paid to public
urban transport. The number of Government buses shall be increased.
d. Special financial institutions will be
established in the private sector for the specific purpose of financing
small scale housing on easy terms.
4- LABOUR
Industrial labour is the backbone of our
economy. It is the vanguard of all social progress. Revolutionary measures
shall be taken for the socio economic uplift of the labour. Some of these
are as follows:
a. Minimum wage will be raised annually
keeping in mind the rate of inflation.
b. Private sector will be given
incentives to provide housing to the workers. In the public sector,
large scale labour housing projects shall be launched.
c. A scheme will be launched where the
workers can invest a portion of their gratuity, provident fund etc. in
the shares of those public sector enterprises where they work. These
shares shall be non transferable.
d. All workers and employees dismissed
without cause by the caretaker government shall be reinstated.
e. All guarantees and rights provided
under the ILO charter shall be strictly adhered to.
5- GOVERNMENT SERVANTS
The condition of government servants,
particularly low paid employees is deplorable. The following measures
shall be taken:
a. Conditions of service shall strictly
governed by laid down rules and procedure. Security of service shall be
ensured.
b. Projects to construct government
servant housing on ownership basis will be started in all important
urban centers. Particular emphasis will be given to such housing for low
paid employees.
c. Pay and Pension shall be reviewed
regularly.
6- LAWYERS
The legal community upholds the rule of law
in Pakistan. Its contributions to the struggle for democracy are
memorable. In recognition of their role the following measures are
proposed:
a. Special grants will be given to all bar
associations for their libraries.
b. A special quota for lawyers will be
reserved in all new government housing schemes. Lawyers with five yeas
standing at the bar shall be eligible to apply.
c. Legal advisors will be mandatory for
all government and semi government organizations. The rule on the number
of such adviser ships that an advocate can have would be strictly
implemented so that a maximum number o lawyers can be accommodated.
7- STUDENTS
The student community has suffered from
deep neglect over the last many years. Exam schedules are frequently
changed, academic peace in non existent, arms and other explosives are
endemic in the hostels; in short, the colleges are less a place of
learning and more of a battle ground. Ensuring an environment conducive
for learning is a major priority for the PDA. The following measures shall
be undertaken:
a. Exam schedules, result announcement
schedules and admission schedules shall be fixed for a period of five
years and no change shall be made under any circumstances.
b. Campuses shall be cleared of all arms
and explosives and academic peace shall be ensured.
c. Heads of academic institutions shall
be given the necessary power and personnel to deal with all law breakers
effectively and expeditiously.
d. Employment advisory centers shall be
established in all institutions of higher learning, to help the students
in getting jobs.
8- TEACHERS
Low rate of literacy is one of the major
stumbling blocks to the economic development of the nation, effective
steps will be taken enhance the status and Conditions of service Teacher.
9- FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND THE INFORMATION MEDIA
a. Freedom of the press is a pillar of PDA
ideology and there shall be no compromise on it.
b. Radio and Television corporations
would be made autonomous organizations. Keeping in view Islamic values
and Constitutional provisions new educational and entertainment T.V
channels shall be allowed in the private sector.
c. National Press Trust shall e disbanded
taking into consideration security of service of the employees.
d. A special quota shall be reserved for
journalists in all new housing schemes.
10- TRADERS / BUSINESS
COMMUNITY
Essential problem being faced by the
trading community are the unreal and impracticable tax laws and a corrupt
government machinery to implement them. PDA firmly believes that the
future prosperity of the country is rooted in the success or failure of
the business community. Therefore the following measures shall be
undertaken:
a. To minimize corruption in the income tax
department, the discretionary powers of the assessing officers will be
reduced.
b. Changes in the existing income tax,
custom and excise schedules will be introduced to make the simple and less
prone to bureaucratic meddling. This would enlarge the tax pool, ensure
widespread compliance and reduce corruption by government officials.
11- WOMEN’S RIGHTS
a. Women’s rights shall be protected and
they will be given equal status in shall walks of life.
b. 5% quota of employment for women shall
be reserved in all government and semi government organizations.
c. Special seats for women in the
National and Provincial Assemblies shall be restored.
d. Welfare organizations shall be created
for the poor / destitute women; widows & abandoned families will be
looked after.
e. A special Federal Women’s police
force would be set up for security duties.
f. Pakistan would pioneer an Islamic
Women’s Parliamentary Group so that Muslim women gain from each others
experience.
g. An academy shall be set up of women
scholars to research, publish and publicize role of Muslim women.
h. Discriminatory laws against women
shall be reviewed and reformed.
i. Distinguished women lawyers shall be
appointed to the superior judiciary.
12- MINORITIES
We are committed to revival of the joint
electorates system, however minorities representation shall be ensured in
the National and Provincial Assemblies. The fights of minorities shall be
fully safeguarded.
13- ERADICATION OF
CORRUPTION
The cancerous growth of corruption
endangers the economy and prosperity of the country. To root out this evil
the following measures shall be taken:
a. A law shall be passed to the effect that the President, Grade 21 or
22 officials and equivalent, all members of the Senate, National and
Provincial assemblies shall declare their tax returns and in the event
of being non tax payers all assets to the respective Secretariats or as
otherwise designated. Another such declaration shall be made annually.
b. A special bench of the High Court
shall be constituted to examine a complaint of any citizen against those
designated above. Further, any of those designated above will be able to
move against a person, an organization, or the press, if allegations
made against them are false, before a special bench of the High Court.
c. Anti corruption laws and rules shall
be made more stringent and exemplary punishment shall be given to those
involved in corruption.
d. The institution of Ombudsman shall be
made more effective and shall be extended tot he provinces.
e. To examine the assets of all
Presidents, Prime Ministers, Parliamentarians and high officials from
1985 to the present and take action under the Public Representatives Act
and other laws against those who benefited or whose relatives benefited,
including those who has bank loans written off.
14- AGRICULTURE
REFORMS
a. To reduce the hold of feudalism over the
people and to rectify the unfair distribution of land, the Land Reforms
of 1977 shall be strictly enforced.
b. Land acquired under the land reforms
shall be equitably distributed among local landless tenants.
c. Land record shall be computerized.
d. Cooperative farming shall be
encouraged.
15- INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT
a. Bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering
industrialization in the country will be removed.
b. Banks will be made independent and
free from government pressure in the conduct of their business.
Specifically the disbursement of loans shall be on merit.
c. The source of equity in a new industry
shall not be scrutinized by the tax authorities.
d. Government control over private
industry, trade, banking foreign exchange and other forms of commerce
shall be minimized.
e. Government restrictions on the
formation of private commercial and investment banks shall be removed.
However these shall function under strict supervision of the State Bank
of Pakistan.
f. Industrial development in the rural
areas shall be undertaken on a priority basis in order to curb rural
urban migration.
g. Preference would be given to trade
with countries willing to transfer technology.
h. Effective measures shall be taken for
the control of inflation.
i. Program of privatization will be
continued.
j. Economy will be deregulated.
k. Board of Investment shall be
constituted to facilitate one window operation.
16- DEVELOPMENT OF
EDUCATION
a. A phased programme to raise educational
expenditure to a minimum of 4.5 % of GNP, as recommended by the United
Nations, shall be introduced and guaranteed by law.
b. Scientific and educational research
shall be promoted to reduce dependence on foreign sources.
c. Education up to matric shall be free
and compulsory.
17- PUBLIC HEALTH
a. It shall be the responsibility of the
government to provide drinking water in areas of scarcity.
b. Effective measures shall be taken
against adulteration of foodstuff and exemplary punishment shall be
given to those indulging in it.
c. Salaries of doctors serving in rural
areas shall be enhanced and at the time of promotion special weightage
shall be given to service in rural areas.
d. Special incentives shall be given for
the indigenous development of medical technology.
18- SUPREMACY OF ISLAM
For the promotion of Islamic values and
Islamic way of life, the following principles shall guide all legislation:
a. As specified in the constitution of 1973,
no law in the country shall be contrary to Quran and Sunnah.
b. powers of law making shall exclusively
vest in the elected representatives of the people.
c. The Council of Islamic Ideology shall
be made more effective.
19- ULEMA AND MASHAIKH
Efforts will be made to ensue that the
Ulema & Mashaikh receive the respect that is their due. Concrete steps
will be taken to protect their rights.
20- JUSTICE
Justice is both costly and difficult in the
existing judicial framework of the country. Everything else pales into
insignificance if a society can not provide justice t its people. Beside
the establishment of rural and local courts the following further measures
shall be undertaken:
a. Revolutionary changes shall be brought
in the judicial system and the legal framework to provide speedy and
inexpensive justice.
b. Judiciary shall be separated from the
executive.
c. A scheme shall be initiated to transfer
court fees to the courts for the maintenance and other expenditure.
21- LAW AND ORDER
a To bring about rule of law and ensure
civic order, all unauthorized, unlicensed arms shall be confiscated.
b. Ethnic linguistic and sectarian
prejudices will be rooted out and with the help of the people national
unity shall be promoted.
22- DRUG CONTROL
To eliminate drugs from the country,
exemplary punishment shall be given to the drug barons and their agents
and their moveable and immovable properties shall be confiscated.
23- TRANSPORT
a. The system of Railways in the country
shall be radically improved.
b. Traffic laws shall be strictly
implemented to minimize road accidents and ensure unhindered flow of
traffic.
c. The number of government owned
transport shall be increased.
24- CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
a. Imposition of emergency shall be
challenge able in the superior courts.
b. Eighth Amendment to the constitution
shall be repealed, and the 1973 Constitution, as pledged by the
constituent parties of the MRD, restored.
c. Voting age shall be reduced from 21 to
18.
d. Adult franchise shall be extended to
Tribal Areas.
e. Representative council will be set up
for the Northern Areas.
25- NATIONAL DEFENCE
The armed forces of Pakistan shall be
modernized and equipped with the latest weapons to ensure territorial
integrity of the country. Programme to manufacture indigenous weapons
shall be accelerated.
26- PEACEFUL NUCLEAR PROGRAMME
PDA is committed to the development of a
peaceful Nuclear Programme to meet energy requirements of the country.
27- FOREIGN POLICY
a. Foreign Policy of Pakistan shall reflect
the national interest and shall be based on nonalignment and on
promoting peace and friendship.
b. Relations with other countries shall
be determined on the principles of non interference and peaceful
coexistence.
c. Relations with the brotherly Islamic
countries shall be given special priority.
d. All possible help shall be given to
the valiant Kashmiri freedom fighters in their struggle for self
determination
e. An expeditious political settlement
will be reached on the Afghan issue which reflects the aspirations of
the Afghan people and enable the return of the refugees the their
homeland.
f. The people of Palestine will be
supported in their just struggle for self determination and for a
homeland of their own.
g. The Government of the PDA shall spare
no effort for the liberation of Al-Quds.
h. A solution of the Gulf crises shall be
sought on the recognized principles of sovereignty and independence of
all nations.
i. An association of Democratic Nations
shall be set up to strengthen the forces of freedom in the world.
28- SOCIAL AIMS AND INFRA-STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
a. To accelerate electrification of villages
from 260 villages per year to 2500 per annum.
b. To Accelerate expansion of gas
facilities.
c. To accelerate expansion of public call
offices.
d. To Accelerate services, that is
hotels, entertainment parks, recreational facilities.
e. To achieve self sufficiency in energy
through power plants.
f. To build the Lowari tunnel in Chitral.
g. To give matching grants to private
individuals seeking to make schools and hospitals to a standardized cost
and standardized design.
h. To make possession of illegal arms a
non bail able offense.
i. To have special courts try
kidnappings, ethnic violence and gruesome murders expeditiously.
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