Dawn
7th March 1969
Mutual respect, understanding vital for unity: Mujib for settlement of all national questions : DAC competent to decide constitutional issues
From NISAR OSMANI
LAHORE, March 6: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said here today the two Wings of the country should have respect and understanding for each others feelings because that alone could ensure unity and peace in the country.
He believed that people in both the Wings wanted unity to solve their problems but some exploiters, bureaucrats and those who were interested in perpetuating their rule, were trying to divide them.
He wanted everybody to note that if a country like Indonesia which comprised 3,000 islands could live like a country. Pakistan which was divided into two separate parts could also stand united as a nation.
Talking to newsmen on arrival from Dacca. Sheikh Mujib said that all the issues facing the country should be discussed and settled in the DAC meeting. This he said, was essential for removing the misunderstandings which had raised their head in the past due to wrong handling of the national affairs.
When pointed out that the Round Table Conference should not be allowed to act as a Constituent Assembly and should leave the constitutional issues to the next Assembly to be elected on the basis of adult franchise, he said, “We must sit and decide the questions once and for all”. And effort to avoid the issues would only perpetuate the misunderstandings, he added.
Asked if he believed that the parties in the DAC had representative characters to decide questions like representation on the basis of population and dissolution or retention of One Unit, he said it was very much representative. It had in its fold eight political parties. When his attention was drawn to Mr. Bhutto’s viewpoint that the DAC had no representative character to deal with constitutional issues, he said, “that we will see.”
He made it clear that his party stood for representation on the basis of population and he would certainly raise the issue at the DAC meetings. He noted that the question of powers of the provinces and their representation was inseparably linked with the parliamentary from of Government.
1956 CONSTITUTION
Answering a question, he said he was not in favour of restoration of the 1956 constitution. He had opposed it and had voted against it as a Member of the Constituent Assembly and had accepted it only as a verdict of the majority.
When pointed out that unity between the two Wings could be forged only on the principle of give and take, he said East Pakistan had given many things in the past and now had nothing to give. By accepting the principle of parity. Bengal had made great sacrifices as it had to forgo its right of being represented on the basis of population, but it could not get even parity in all fields.
He was convinced that the people of West Pakistan did not want to exploit their East Pakistani brethren. Rather they had sympathy for their demands.
He thought the RTC should be attended by all the political parties since the problems faced the entire country. His people would meet Mr. Bhutto again to persuade him to join the conference. They had also met Maulana Bhashani in this connection.
In reply to a question if he would also plead for bicameral system, he said he had not thought over it so far.
Answering another question, he said in the parliamentary form of Government the President exercised only nominal powers.
APP adds: When a correspondent drew his attention to a speech of Air Marshal Asghar in the East Pakistan High Court Bar in which the former Air Force Chief had stated that the exploiters were the same in the both Wings of the country. Sheikh Mujib said that unfortunately all the 20 wealthiest families of the country belonged to West Pakistan.
He said a sense of unity between east and West Pakistan already existed. When Lahore was attacked in 1965, six crore people of East Pakistan were behind Lahor. It is the exploiters, it is the bureaucrats, it is those people who want to perpetuate their rule by dividing the people between East and West Pakistan.
AUTONOMY A MUST
In an interview with PPI Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said that universal adult suffrage, representation on population basis for different regions of the country and full regional autonomy were a ‘must’ for Pakistan.
The Awami League chief said that constitutional arrangements must be made to provide all these ingredients of democracy.
Stressing the importance of full regional autonomy, he said much of the economic and political ills were caused by its absence. He referred to the neglect shown to East Pakistan and other smaller regions of East Pakistan and said these resulted from the concentration of power in one hand. He reiterated that a constitution ensuring full regional autonomy could strengthen the solidarity of Pakistan.
In this connection, he pointedly referred to his party’s Six- point Programme and said it envisaged full regional autonomy.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that he would take up all these issues at the forthcoming session of the Round Table Conference for settlement. He would place the wishes of the people at the RTC in the light of the Awami League’s six-point programme and the 11 point programme of the students Action Committee.
BIG WELCOME
Earlier, on his arrival here from Dacca, the Awami League leader was accorded a rousing reception by an enthusiastic crowd at the Lahore airport this afternoon.
A large number of persons from all walks of life had gathered at the airport to welcome him.
Students, carrying pictures of the smiling Sheikh were shouting full throated slogans of “Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Zindabad”. “Husain Shaheed Suhrawardy Zindabad.”
He was profusely garlanded as he stepped out of the plane. Flower petals were showered on him as he came down the gangway.
Prominent among those who had gone to welcome him were Sardar Shaukat Hayat, Air Marshal Asghar Khan and Gen Azam Khan.
The Awami league chief was taken from the gangway in a jeep amidst “Zindabad” slogans. He was then driven to the city.
A large DAC contingent from East Pakistan accompanied the Sheikh from Dacca. They are Khondkar Mushtaq Ahmad, Syed Nazrul Islam, Mr. Tajuddin, Captain Mansur Ali, Mr. Qamaruzzaman, Mulla Jalaluddin and Sheikh Abdul Aziz of the Awami League. Mr. Abdus Salam Khan and Mr. Nurul Islam Choudhury of its pro-PDM group, Mr. J. Ali, Mr. Shafiqul Islam, Syed Abdus Sultan, Mr. Abdus Salam, Mr. Ataullah Khan and Mr. Ata-ul Haque of the Council Muslim League.
Earlier, before learning Dacca Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said that he was trying to adopt “unanimous decisions” at the Central DAC meeting in Lahore, to be placed before the Round Table Conference.
He said he would place before the DAC the demands of regional autonomy on the basis of six-point programme and the demands of West Pakistan, particularly the “burning” One Unit problem.
Replying to a question he said while placing the Awami Leagues demands before the DAC meeting he would be guided by the resolutions of the Working Committee of the party, adopted here last night at a meeting….
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