Pakistan lawmaker Mohsin Dawar launches party to promote secular, federal, democratic system

Pakistani lawmaker Mohsin Dawar and some of his Pashtun colleagues on Wednesday launched a party called National Democratic Movement (NDM), with the aim to promote a secular, federal and democratic parliamentary system.

NDM, which was launched in Peshawar seeks "to establish a just, peaceful, tolerant and humane society" in which citizens enjoy fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, association and protection of the law, The Friday Times reported.

The leaders of the newly formed party promised to work for provincial autonomy, the supremacy of the parliament, and allocating funds to education, health and human development.

"The Central Organising committee was formed after extensive consultations held over the last few months with inputs from leaders, friends and supporters involved in the process," the newly formed party said on Twitter.

The party manifesto was also announced at the launch.

"The state must provide protection and facilities to all religions and beliefs without prejudice, discrimination or interference," the document reads, as quoted by The Friday Times.

The party said that the powers of the state and the government cannot be absolute and should respect the fundamental rights of citizens outlined under the country's Constitution. It also recognises "the historical marginalisation of smaller provinces in the distribution of resources."

"Pakistan is a multinational, multilingual, multicultural and multi-religious country with various units of historical identity and consciousness that must be acknowledged and recognized. Our party will strive to establish a new development agreement between all provinces...the aim of which will be to establish a just system based on equality... and to devise a power-sharing system based on political consensus and a decentralised federal system," the manifesto reads.

Dawar, who hails from Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) has time and again accused the Pakistan Army of carrying out violence in the region with impunity.

(ANI)

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