Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani said on Friday that all state institutions must respect constitutional limits.

He said this during his remarks in connection with the International Democracy Day.

“State institutions should respect constitutional limits to allow democracy to flourish. All institutions should stay within the roles assigned to them under the constitution. One of the functions of the Parliament under the Constitution is oversight of the executive and to provide policy guidelines. The government needs to empower the Parliament so that it can play an effective role in this regard,” he added.

While addressing the Upper House, Senator Farhatullah Babar cautioned against overstepping mandate of state institutions.

He called for deeper reflection on new emerging threats to democracy. “The direct assault on democracy and outright abrogation of the Constitution has given way to the use instruments like the doctrine of necessity, Legal Framework Order (LFO), Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) and suspension of the Constitution to undermine democratic institutions. Now, a totally new threat has reared its head. This is back-seat driving. It is the exercise of power without responsibility and without accountability,” he said.

“The person at the helm is out-maneuvered by the real controllers of vital levers on the rear seat. Such a vehicle is fated to meet a disastrous accident,” he said. He asked all institutions to respect their limits and not to tread into the domain of others.

Senator Mohsin Leghari stressed the need to look inwards and take more responsibility as Parliamentarians to play a part in strengthening democracy. Senators Sherry Rehman, Javed Abbasi and Usman Kakar also spoke on the occasion.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Ahmed Sheikh informed the Senate that the construction work on the Besham-Khazkhela Expressway would start once its feasibility report was received.

The minister said that during a visit to Swat in May 2015, the PM had announced the construction of the expressway.

Published in Daily Times, September 16^th 2017.