ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday stated that they had no idea that the situation would be so difficult.
Speaking in the parliament at the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution, the prime minister said that today is a very important day in the history of Pakistan. He said the esteemed attendees from different walks of life are testifying that despite the passage of 50 years and numerous amendments to the 1973 Constitution, the Constitution is still alive today which reflects that this Constitution was made by political respectables who despite their differences sat together and made this framework.
He said the achievement would be remembered in golden words in the history of the country. He said today reminds us how the doctrine of necessity was introduced in 1955 and many times the Constitution was rewritten.
The premier added that there will be setbacks, but when you decide to work together to get things done, big challenges are overcome. He said that he salutes the makers of the constitution who paved the way for consultation and gave the constitution to Pakistan.
Sharif said that in spite of all these amendments and there were many storms but it is the constitution that has kept the four units in one battle. He also congratulated Mian Raza Rabbani and his committee.
President Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari while addressing the National Assembly said that he is a witness of history. “By the grace of the Almighty Allah, we were able to restore the 1973 Constitution. However, what was dreamt by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Wali Khan, Mufti Mehmood, and others remains to be fulfilled”.
The Constitution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was suspended in the garb of a new religious order. The PPP has never used religion for its political gain. I have spent 14 years of solitary confinement in prison and walked the halls of history, President Zardari said. Benazir Bhutto used to say that some things are taken to the grave. This is because we are among those who created Pakistan and also are responsible for protecting it. We will not leave future generations with a divided country. We will not let anyone play with the Constitution. Those trying to create enmity among allies will not be successful. This is not the first time that the court has given a notice. Masood Sharif was also given a notice to explain himself for bugging the court. He is on record to have stated that the court was engaging in politics and it was his duty as the DG of the Intelligence Bureau to intervene.
The Pakistan People’s Party has always raised the slogan of Pakistan. We have been protecting Pakistan and our determination is the same today. As long as we can, we will help the country and its democracy flourish. People keep saying that the country will default and go bankrupt. Did Japan go bankrupt? Did Korea go bankrupt? There was a time when Argentina’s currency was at par with the dollar and today, it is faring below ours. There was a time when India, a country 10 times bigger than ours, had only a billion dollar in its reserves and sent its gold to Switzerland to get a tranche from the IMF. Pakistan will surely emerge, and we will see to it that it does. Our country is that of commodities and they hold value in the world today.
President Zardari said that he has witnessed suo-motus against him. Attempts were made to conjure witnesses but were unsuccessful. My sister was taken to prison at midnight on the occasion of Eid. No suo-motu was taken at the time. There were cameras in our washrooms, and we submitted applications but no development took place. A listening device was caught in my hospital room and presented before the court but no action was taken.
“We unitedly made the 18th Amendment and NFC Awards possible. We raised our voices for the rights of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan will evolve and is home to people with political minds, but we have to talk to them and engage them.”
Currently, an enemy state has created an environment that does not allow for talks to take place. However, we will go to Balochistan and to KP.
Under PPP, Pakistan signed currency swap with five countries. Today, the world is following suit as countries such as China, Russia, Malaysia, and India are beginning inter-currency transactions. India buys oil from Russia, refines it and then exports it. There is nothing that Pakistan cannot do. Good things take time and rushed judgements are hushed judgements as they do not strengthen democracy or the country but pave the way for chaos. We cannot afford chaos. We can request the PM for a dialogue with the opposition, but they have to come to him as he is the PM. The government of its time, led by the PM is the only valid authority to do a dialogue. One cannot walk into a dialogue with pre-conditions. It does not suit a government to go into a clash. We cannot go into a clash at a time when people cannot feed their children. We know that they have enough money to pay their workers to work up a riot. We know where the money is coming from. The funds given to them by the people are for the sake of charity and they have no right to use them for their politics.
The court in its own judgement had earlier stated that all judges are equal. How can it not consider the judgements of its fellow judges? The whole nation needs to think and ponder. Rest assured, we are not weak as we are political forces. We do not sit here because somebody made us do so, but because we have won our elections, the majority, the no-confidence against Niazi and we have won the vote of confidence. We did not ask him to walk out of the Parliament, he did that himself. Now, he is pressurising the courts and we cannot accept some portion of the judiciary or the ex-establishment ganging up on us. We will fight as we have no fear of these so-called ‘democrats’. If they think we can be cowed down, they have got another thing coming, President Zardari said. The NRO was the apology that was owed to us. It was our aim to have it be written in history that we were apologised to.
We have given this soil our blood and will continue to do so, President Zardari resolved.
The resolution moved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while commemorating the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan stated that; whereas, the Constitution of Pakistan enshrines that sovereignty belongs to
Almighty Allah alone, and the authority is to be exercised by the people of Pakistan through their chosen representatives within the limits prescribed by Him as sacrosanct. Whereas, the Constitution was adopted on April 10, 1973, by the National Assembly of Pakistan, representing the will and aspirations of the people of Pakistan; Whereas, the Constitution reflects the vision of the founding fathers of Pakistan, including Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and embodies the principles of democracy, equality, freedom, and justice; Whereas, the Constitution has been a unique expression of unity in diversity, as it recognizes the rights and autonomy of the provinces, while ensuring the integrity and political unity of the federation; Whereas, the Constitution has been a source of inspiration and guidance for the Parliament, Judiciary and the Executive in upholding the principles of constitutionalism, rule of law and protection of human rights; Whereas, the Constitution has been amended over the years, incorporating the changing needs and aspirations of the people of Pakistan, and ensuring that the Constitution remains a living document; Whereas, the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is an occasion to celebrate the resilience of the Constitution and to reaffirm our commitment to the principles of democracy, rule of law, and human rights; This Convention urges that the Parliament of Pakistan commemorates the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 and pays tribute to the founding fathers of Pakistan who laid the foundations of the Constitution of 1973 and to all those who have contributed to its development and evolution over the years.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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