Morning News
14th March 1969
Mujib announces AL dissociation from DAC: Failure to back autonomy
RAWALPINDI, MARCH 13 (APP): THE AWAMI LEAGUE LEADER SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN THIS AFTERNOON ANNOUNCED HIS PARTY’S DISSOCIATION FROM THE DEMOCRATIC ACTION COMMITTEE FOR THE DAC’S “FAILURE” TO SUPPORT REGIONAL AUTONOMY AND DISMEMBERMENT OF THE ONE UNIT.
Addressing a Press conference, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman said his party along with others would continue to strive for attainment, by constitutional and peaceful means, of the “basic issues.”
“A strong and united Pakistan can only emerge from a political solution which meets the basic demands of the people of all parts of Pakistan” he said.
The Awami League leader said he had impressed upon the participants of the Round Table Conference the need of finding an effective political solution in order to resolve the “grave crisis” that had engulfed the nation.
Sheikh Mujib said popular mass movement had obliged the President to convene the Round Table Conference at which the basic demands of the people could be pressed. With all earnestness I had urged the participants that an effective political solution must meet the demands for full regional autonomy as well as the demand for the dismemberment of the One Unit, he added.
He said he had also outlined clearly formulated proposals for regional autonomy and had indicated that a committee of experts of all parties could work out the details.
Sheikh Mujib said that President Ayub had proposed to effect amendments to the existing constitution in order to convert it into a federal parliamentary system system and to provide that the representatives of the people should be elected on the basis of direct adult franchise. But he had not adverted to the demand for regional autonomy or the question of One Unit and had further indicated that the representation would continue on the basis of parity and distribution of subjects between the centre and the regions would remain as it is. This, therefore, he said “leaves these basic issues unsettled.”
Sheikh Mujib said, “It is tragic that the democratic Action Committee, with the exception of N.A.P Mr. Nurul Amin, and some independent members, including Justice Murshed, should have failed to articulate the above basic demands of the people for which so many lives have been lost and such heroic sacrifices have been made by them.”
He said he was confident that had the other members of the Democratic Action Committee acted “more responsibly and worked to achieve a consensus” whereby solutions could be arrived at of the basic issues, now left unsettled ‘the President would have had no option but accept it’.
AL MEETING
Replying to a question whether his party would contest the elections under the “present circumstances”, Sheikh Mujib said his party would decide and added he would call a meeting of the Working Committee of the Awami League to consider the issue.
Asked whether the DAC Convener, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, had on March 10, conveyed to the President an agreed DAC formula, Sheikh Mujib said that the eight points of the DAC were the preconditions for contesting the elections.
Sheikh Mujib said that the eight-point programme of the DAC included the demand for direct election on adult franchise basis and the federal parliamentary government. In the case of the later, the relation between the Centre and the provinces as well as distribution of powers between them had to be determined.
Asked whether he would consider the President’s acceptance of the two demands as “concessions”, Sheikh Mujib said it is not a question of concessions. The President wanted to accede to these demands and he had done it.
When asked whether he would call the Round Table Conference to be a success or a failure, Sheikh Mujib said “I am not going to tell you whether it is a failure or not. I have given my opinion.”
Answering a question the Awami League leader said he had no objection to submitting amendments to the constitution within 24 or 48 hours to the Government direct. He added if they like they can consider them.
Asked by a foreign correspondent whether the movement would continue in East Pakistan, Sheikh Mujib countered to say “why in East Pakistan. The movement will continue all over Pakistan.” The Awami League is a constitutional party and “we would continue peacefully and constitutionally.”
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