Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said it was time for the State institutions to get united for upholding the Constitution and keeping the national interest supreme. Addressing at the launch of the 1973 Constitution mobile application, he said Pakistan was currently at the crossroads of constitutional challenges, which required a sense of wholeness to be demonstrated by the State institutions. In connection with the golden jubilee of the country’s constitution 1973, the mobile application has been developed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the leadership of Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb in collaboration with National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The application will act as a digital source to help raise awareness among the general public about the 1973 Constitution. Shehbaz Sharif said the Constitution had its roots in the parliament, adding that according to the world-recognized concept, the judiciary can only interpret the law, but cannot re-write it.

“It does not happen anywhere in the world that a court issues a stay order against a legislation which is still in the making,” he said. He urged the judiciary to reassess its role and become the protector of the Constitution. The prime minister said the 1973 Constitution was the result of the hard toil of politicians from all backgrounds, who arrived at a consensus in the formulation of the sacred document. He recalled that veteran politicians of their times including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mufti Mehmood, Khan Abdul Wali Khan and several others rose above their political differences to write a constitution that acted as a binding force for the federation. He said although politicians made mistakes in the past, it was time to rectify them. “We have indeed learned a lesson and we are making efforts to take Pakistan out of these problems,” he said. “Great people learn from their mistakes and hold the national interest high.”

He said the government took over in difficult times, however, said that it would not hesitate in protecting the State and the Constitution. PM Sharif said on the eve of the 50th anniversary, the decision to include the 1973 Constitution in the syllabus at schools and college levels was remarkable in raising awareness about its sanctity. He expressed the hope that the young generation would learn about the Constitution and that healthy academic debates would be held at educational institutions.