HYDERABAD: Speakers at the last session on the concluding day of the 8th Ayaz Melo held here on Sunday advised political parties and parliamentarians to use the admission that the `establishment did commit mistakes` to bring ISI and other intelligence agencies under parliamentary oversight through legislation.

Theycalledforbringingreforms inthe1973Constitutiontoaddress questions relating to peoples` rights and ensuring across the board accountabilityofjudgesand generals. There was a particular mindset that wanted to unravel the 18th constitutional amendment which had empowered the parliament, they said at the session titled `new social contract`.

Dr Arfana Mallah, who moderated the session posed some specific questions to which the speakers came up with very pointed replies.

Ms Mallah sought a brief explanation of social contract between state and people from former Pakistan Study Centre head Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed, who summed it up well, defining its three forms.

This contract was reflected in the Constitution but it was a different debate how the things guaranteed in the document were given effect in practical terms.

Former PPP parliamentarian Farhatullah Babar, who partici-pated through video link, said in reply to the moderator`s question on the 18th amendment that it was carried out to do away with 100 amendments made to the constitution by dictators. The new Article had given more powers over financial matters, invoking of Article 6, elimination of 58(2)(b) as well as doctrine of necessity, which made sure that judiciary would not allow subversion of constitution, he said.

But, he conceded, the amended constitution was not implemented and two premiers were sent packing by judiciary between 2008 and 2018. There was a particular mindset that did not like this amendment hence attempt was made to subvert it, he said.

Popular fiction writer Noorul Huda Shah regretted that masses made politicians master of their destiny but unfortunately thesevery people often surrendered to establishment.

Dr Nazir Mahmood, researcher and critic, called for removing flaws from the constitution which discriminated on the question of `nations` and minorities thus the narrative of `separating church from the state` started doing the rounds.

Jaffar agreed with the moderator that there was need for a charter of economy with a clearer concept and political parties must pay heed to it because all laws were derived from the Constitution.

The 1973 document was not an ideal one as a minority individual could not become head of the state yet the document said all citizens were equal, he said.

`There is room for reform in the present Constitution,` he said, adding that Senate should be directly elected and parliamentshould scrutinize and approve military budget.

Babar said that parliament did fail on the issue of missing persons and attributed the failure to the narrative of `security driven state` as opposed to welfare-driven state.

He said: `There is elephant in the room and we have to alter this process`.

He said that it was high time all political parties, intellectuals, unions and civil society raised their voice. Although the psyche would not change overnight, the admission that the establishment had committed mistake should be used asleverage,he said.

He said that political parties and parliament should bring ISI and other intelligence agencies under parliamentary oversight and also ensure legislation over the issue of missing persons.Across the board accountability of judges, generals, president and prime minster should be ensured, he said.

He said that political parties should also make their own decision-making process more structured and the clause for voting by a member on a bill in line with the will of the party`s head needed to be reviewed so that members could vote as per their conscience.

At another session moderated by Mehtab Ali Noor on flood in Sindh and rehabilitation phase, noted development expert and analyst Naseer Memon said that Sindh needed integrated floods management plan.

He said that disaster management had become a science now that the country should learn from the world. `Should we keep mourning over this disaster and wait for the next one,` he said sarcastically and added the federal government should bear cost of damage from the current flood because it was Sindh that passed every deluge.

Former Sindh planning and development board chairperson, Shireen Mustafa Narejo, said the devastations were in fact drainage failure and added that such a huge quantum of rainfall could not be controlled by anyone.

Dr Ayesha Siddiga spoke online at a session on Shaikh Ayaz` poetry and said Ayaz was not inspired by anyone and had his own political thinking. He had even questioned communism and was different from Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Sibte Hassan. He opposed all forms of exploitations, she said.

Sadiga Salahudidn of Indus Resource Centre spoke about her organisation`s efforts in rain-hit Khairpur district.