Pakistani politicians on Saturday criticised the armed forces, the Punjab province and intelligence agencies in a meeting with Nicholas Burns, the US deputy secretary of state for political affairs. Burns said he supported democracy in Pakistan but refused to comment on the countryâs internal matters. The visiting US official held a meeting with the leaders of opposition and ruling parties. The politicians raised internal matters like unequal distribution of resources and lack of consensus on Kalabagh Dam. âMeeting Pakistani politicians is a learning experience for me. MNA Fauzia Wahab of the Pakistan Peopleâs Party Parliamentarians questioned how the US could promote democracy in Pakistan when it supported a military dictator. She said political parties had been marginalised by the military regime. She told the US official that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was being threatened with court cases if she returned to Pakistan. Abdul Hayee Baloch, a Baloch nationalist, briefed Burns about the Balochistan situation. He claimed the Balochistan had suffered a lot from âmilitary dictatorsâ. Nasreen Jaleel, a leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), complained that Sindh was not given its due share by the federal government. Sources said the MQM leader criticised President Musharraf for announcing Kalabagh Dam and launching an operation in Balochistan.
Sources said Burns refused to comment on Pakistanâs internal issues. He said provincial autonomy and the distribution of resources were purely internal issues.
Human rights activist Asma Jehangir said that Musharrafâs policies were âdamaging the federation of Pakistanâ. âElections are held in ISI offices rather than in towns,â sources quoted her as telling the US official. MNA Sheikh Waqas Ahmed, who belonged to the ruling PML, claimed intelligence agencies and military officials were patronising banned religious outfits.