Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar on Monday called for teaching constitution and constitutionalism in military academies across the country.

Referring to General Zia, he said that a former military dictator in a newspaper interview ridiculed the constitution as a “mere 15-page document that I can tear at will and all the politicians will follow me wagging their tails”.

It is necessary that courses on the constitution and constitutionalism and human rights are taught in military academies, he said.

Babar added that the Quaid had told senior officers that he had noticed that they did not fully grasp the value of constitution. The Quaid then also explained to them the importance of the constitution and the value of upholding it, he added.

Babar said that those who subverted the constitution and their abettors must not be allowed to escape punishment. He wondered what made it possible for the last dictator who instead to going to the court turned his car towards a hospital in Rawalpindi and escaped the reach of the courts and law enforcing agencies. He also called for removing the portraits of dictators from all official premises.

A resolution, moved by Babar to preserve the culture and heritage of the people of Kalash in Chitral and for the inclusion of this area in UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also passed unanimously when the Law Minister Hamid Zahid said that he did not oppose it.

The House recommended that the government should take necessary steps to preserve the culture and heritage of the people of Kalash and to make arrangements for inclusion of that area in UNESCO world heritage sites.

Moved by Senator Tanveer Khan, the Senate also adopted another resolution to congratulate the cricket team and the whole nation on its victory against India in the final match of ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The House praised the performance of the players, team management and Pakistan Cricket Board.

Published in Daily Times, August 29^th 2017.