Pakistan are to be autonomous and sovereign. Today this resolution of demand for regional autonomy is not a demand of our Leader Maulana Bhasani alone or any particular party. This is a national demand; this is a demand of 42 million people of East Pakistan. The demand for regional autonomy is based on facts, reasons and history, and it is not an outburst of sentiments and emotions nor is it neither a vote-catching slogan nor an outcome of frustration and disappointment. It means complete freedom of the regions in internal affairs from the control of the Central Government in spheres other than Defense, Foreign Affairs and Currency. The demand for regional autonomy is not undemocratic. It is democratic because at least 56 per cent of the total population of East Pakistan demands it. It is geographically inescapable because the two wings of Pakistan are based on two different economies. It is politically sound. There can be 'union without unity and unity cannot be achieved through coercion, threat or force. There is no necessity of unity so long as there can be “union without unity'. History confirms it; because Political History is replete with such instances...
After August, 1947 political independence we have achieved no doubt, but economic liberation is yet to be achieved. Containing 56 per cent of the population of Pakistan. East Pakistan has all through these 10 years been smarting under numerous grievances relating to uphold their national rights. East Pakistan has suffered under the discriminatory treatment met out to her economic filed.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, the improvement of the lot of our backward and poverty-striken people will not be possible without regional autonomy. The real solution of the food problem of the country which is suffering from permanent deficiency lies either in the import of foodstuffs from foreign countries or in the increase of yield per acre by the application of scientific appliances. How can we import foodstuffs and scientific appliances from other countries without exporting goods to those countries? Export of a country pays for its import. East Pakistan has nothing today to be called industrial or manufactured goods to export and thereby to earn foreign earnings. The little foreign earnings that she has every year by exporting jute that also she is deprived of. Our agriculture has been very much neglected...
You know, Sir, in the field of industrial development, tariff laws play a great part and East Pakistan has got no control over it. Another important factor is freight charges which again are under the control of the Central Government. In the name of currency and foreign exchange is controlled by the Central Government and the step-motherly treatment of the Central Government is well known to all of us. The Central Government also on account of its economic subordination to some foreign countries and signing the various military pacts labors under serious handicaps in the field of industrial development.
Mr. Speaker. Sir, in the field of our agriculture, industry, commerce, internal transport, education and health, no development can be conceived of by a Government silting 1,400 miles off Karachi. In the present pattern of our State, it is regional autonomy and regional autonomy alone that can guarantee an all round development of this wing of Pakistan ...
