KARACHI - Speakers at a meeting of Hamdard Karachi’s Shura urged the government to hold regular elections of local bodies as per schedule in order to evolve new leadership in the country.

The meeting, which discussed the theme: ‘The foundation of political parties should be laid on socio-economic welfare of the masses’, was presided over by Justice (r) Haziqul Khairi here on Wednesday.

Hamdard Foundation President Sadia Rashid was also present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, chief guest Justice (r) Zia Pervez said most of the rulers in Pakistan belonged to the elite class and therefore failed to feel the aspirations and real problems of the masses.

“As a result, they could not ensure the social welfare,” he said, and quoted the saying of Allama Iqbal: “Whichever the old impression you see, wipe it off.”

He lamented that instead of acting upon Poet of the East’s saying, “We have decorated it on pulpit, resulting in retrogression of the society.”

“Because we cannot make custard from wheat,” he said, adding, “Hakim Saeed and Abdus Sattar Edhi served Pakistan silently, and we need such people to lead our society.”

Khurshid Hashmi said that Pakistan needed visionary leaders, who could open the hearts and minds of people and teach them to follow the principles of Quaid-e-Azam: ‘Faith, Unity and Discipline’; a panacea for our emancipation.

Professor Muhammad Rafi regretted the only purpose of the existence of political parties was to come to power and they had no interest in the welfare of people.

“Provinces should be given equal seats in parliament and equal treatment in order to create harmony among them,” he suggested.

Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises President Zafar Iqbal said that political parties should be made democratic from inside by making intra party elections mandatory.

He also suggested that number of parties be reduced. “No head of any party should be allowed to take part in elections after two terms in office, and that expenditures on election campaign be minimised,” he stressed.

Haq Nawaz Akhtar, Commodore (r) Sadeed Anwar Malik, Prof Dr Akhlaque, Prof Dr Tanveer Khalid, Prof Kafeel Ahmed, Dr Abu Bakar Sheikh, Mussarat Akram, Huma Beg and Sheikh Usman Dmohi also spoke on the occasion.

Members of the Shura congratulated Justice (r) Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui on his elevation to the post of governor Sindh, particularly because he was a close friend of Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Saeed, who had addressed meetings of the Shura many a times as a guest speaker.