Pakistan looking for a nation: Khurram Nawaz Gundapur

Khurram Nawaz Gundapur, Secretary General of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, has said that Pakistan is in search of a nation today. He said that we were divided into sub-national identities such as Punjabi, Sindhi, Pathan and Balochis and were not well-knit into the fabric of the Pakistani nationhood. He said that we would have to marshal ourselves into a nation again by rising above narrow divides. He said that it was not possible to look for truly representative leadership under the present system, adding that the nation needed to forge unity on the single-point agenda of electoral reforms. He said that public awareness campaign of PAT would become basis for real change in the country.

PAT Secretary General expressed these views while addressing a ceremony organized by the Youth Wing of Pakistan Awami Tehreek in the central secretariat of the party the other day. Baber Ch, Rafique Sadiqi, Tayyab Zaii and other student and youth leaders were present on the occasion.

Khurram Nawaz Gundapur appealed to the nation to reject the incumbent electoral system and attend public sit-ins being organized by PAT on the polling day on May 11. He said that deprivation felt by smaller provinces was the biggest threat to federation, adding that steps needed to be taken to eliminate this deprivation. He said that all of us were responsible for the situation in Balochistan.

PAT Secretary General said that the people would have to change their priorities, adding that the present system buried the politics of manifesto and issues. For real and sustainable democracy to be established, people have to play role at individual and collective levels, he opined. Khurram Nawaz said that electoral system was at the heart of problems being faced by the people. He said that the worst energy shortages and skyrocketing inflation had made people’s lives miserable. He said that the youth would have to acknowledge their role in the present state of affairs and support PAT’s agenda of change in the country.

Khurram Nawaz Gundapur said that the present system was like a dilapidated building which was collapsing thereby posing a threat. This building should be razed and a new building reconstructed, he added. He said that voting in the elections would be useless, further holding that PAT would not become part of fraudulent elections.