Daily Times

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday said the Constitution is a cornerstone of collective and individual freedoms. “The Constitution is the best document which ensures the provision of all freedoms to each citizen irrespective of caste, creed and colour,” he said while addressing the closing Plenary Session “Building Inclusive and Equal Societies: Challenges and Opportunities” of International Constitutional Convention to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution of Pakistan here at the Parliament House. Prevez Ashraf paid rich tribute to the struggle of generations of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership for the continuity of democracy and supremacy of the Constitution.

He said following the principles and struggle of two charismatic leaders – Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtrama Benzair Bhutto, who had sacrificed their lives for furthering the cause of democracy in Pakistan, would bring the country out of socio-economic challenges. He expressed gratitude to the parliamentary delegations of 14 countries for attending the convention. Convener of the International Constitutional Convention Committee Nafeesa Shah presented the outcome document of the convention and briefly outline its basics.

The participating countries resolved to ensure the provision of constitutional rights to all with a collective and consensus-based approach. It was expressed to work together for enhancing and promoting democratic values. It was further reiterated to ensure the supremacy of the constitution, along with fundamental rights to all. Later, Speaker Prevez Ashraf and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari distributed prizes among the winners of declamation contests, which were organised across the country.

It may be mentioned that the International Constitutional Convention culminated the month-long golden jubilee celebrations of the Constitution where a Constitution App was also launched, besides releasing of a commemorative coin by the State Bank of Pakistan and the issuance of a Rs 50 Commemorative Stamp. A collection of historic speeches made by prominent parliamentarians on the floor of the house was also displayed.

The Constitution was included in the educational curriculum to educate youth about the importance, role and rights guaranteed by it. A wall of unsung heroes of democracy was inaugurated by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to commemorate the role, and the fight of people to preserve, further and restore democracy in Pakistan. A monument was also inaugurated at the Constitution Avenue to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Constitution. The Old Assembly Hall at the State Bank building was declared as a national heritage on April 10 this year.

Exhibition of historic milestones, speeches and newspaper articles from Dawn and Jang newspapers from 1973 were also displayed at the Parliament. Parliamentary delegations from Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon meet with NA Speaker: The parliamentary delegations from Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Lebanon separately met with the National Assembly, Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, on Thursday during the International Parliamentary convention held to celebrate Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee. The meetings included discussions on regional and global challenges, as well as mutual interests in the Golden Jubilee’s international convention.

The speaker thanked the international delegates for their participation in the convention organized under the auspices of the National Assembly Secretariat. He highlighted the importance of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, adding that the ties between the two countries were based on mutual values of democracy and social prosperity. He also praised the participation of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, in the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

He further added, “Pakistan looks forward to the upcoming visit of the President of Kyrgyzstan, which will help strengthen cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of energy and transportation. Atazhov also reiterated the importance of the ties between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, adding his country had always given great importance to its relations with Pakistan. He also shared memories of the visit of the late Benazir Bhutto to the Kyrgyzstan, Republic in 1995, which was still remembered by millions of the people of Kyrgyzstan.

He accepted the invitation to visit Pakistan and expressed his hope that this visit will further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries. After that, an Iranian parliamentary delegation, led by member of parliament Wahid Jalalzadeh and the chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the parliament, met with Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf. Raja Pervez praised Iran as a brave nation that had faced recent challenges with courage and resolved them through unity and consensus.

He also expressed gratitude to the Iranian embassy for successfully organizing the display of rare copies of the Holy Quran during the Constitution’s Golden Jubilee ceremony. He further stated that Iran’s efforts to improve relations with Saudi Arabia were a positive development for the entire region. Wahid Jalalzadeh expressed his gratitude and emphasized the importance Iran placed on its relations with Pakistan.