GARHI KHUDA BAKHSH -  The Central Executive Committee of Pakistan People’s Party which met yesterday in Naudero called for early decision on the presidential reference filed in the SC in 2011 to revisit the 1979 conviction of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, often called by the party a ‘judicial murder’.

The joint meeting of the CEC of the party and the Federal Council was presided over by Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the occasion of the 38th death anniversary of the party’s founding chairman and the country’s first directly elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

An early disposal of the reference is necessary for correcting historical record, the PPP resolution said, adding the party hopes that a decision on it would be taken soon.

The party also called for setting up a truth and reconciliation commission as agreed in the 2006 Charter of Democracy signed by PPP and PML-N.

The truth and reconciliation commission is aimed at revisiting the macabre injustices, atrocities and wrongs of the past in a spirit of arriving at the truth, Farhatullah Babar told the media, explaining the CEC decisions.

The admission of guilt by the perpetrators in return for some limited indemnity providing some comfort to the victims is the basis of a truth commission. It is a way forward to come to terms with the bitterness of the past, brace for the future and move on, he said.

He said the CEC also expressed grave concern over the non-implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) and dismal failure of the government to carry out the promised Madrassa reforms, tribal areas reforms and stop banned outfits from resurrection under other names.

The party demanded immediate merger of Fata in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and extension of the jurisdiction of superior courts to the tribal areas as promised in the proposed reforms. It also called for placing before the parliament the proposed Riwaj Regulation that will replace the notorious FCR in the tribal areas.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said the party’s central executive committee also demanded early formation of the parliamentary committee on national security to oversee the implementation of NAP on one hand and revisit policies of the national security on the other. It also called for electoral reforms in consultation with all political parties ahead of the next general elections in the country.

The party also called for concrete steps to make Pakistan a welfare state as envisioned in Article 38 of the Constitution and, in this connection, reminded the government of the pledges made at the United Nations to achieve the targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Pakistan People’s Party also expressed deep concern over the failure of the country’s foreign policy as is evident from the increasing isolation of Pakistan in the region and deteriorating relations with all neighbors, excluding China, and reiterated the demand of the appointment of a full-time foreign minister.

The party also took note of, and expressed concern over, increase in inflation, decrease in purchasing power of the common man, deteriorating law and order situation, inadequate salary and pension structure, low wages of workers and massive corruption at high levels.

It deplored that loadshedding had increased and the rising circular debt had reminded the government of the promises it had made at the time of 2013 elections to end loadshedding within six months as well as the circular debt once and for all. The power shortfall at the beginning of the summer has already exceeded 5,000MW, he said.

The people in urban areas were facing power outages of 8-10 hours and those in rural areas 10-14 hours even though full-blown summer was some weeks away, it said, adding this reality mocks at those who had claimed that his name be changed if he failed to end loadshedding in six months.

The party also called for equitable distribution of the benefits of CPEC among the provinces and regions within the provinces and stressed the need for adhering to the western route of the corridor as decided at the APC in May 2015.