Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday said that all the constitutional institutions should respect parliament, as it is the most powerful institution of the country.

Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad to mark completion of seventy years of parliament, the minister urged all institutions to uphold supremacy of law and constitution. She added that parliament was the only institution that was elected by the people. “If parliament was strengthened and empowered it would take up masses’ issue,” she added.

Marriyum Aurangzeb regretted that throughout the history of the country, parliament remained most insecure of the institutions.

She pointed out that the country achieved development goals, moved ahead in all spheres of life and its standing improved globally during the periods when democratic governments were in place.

She said it was parliament that gave right to information, right to education, right to due process and right to fair trial by amending the constitution. She said the country made all-round progress during the last four years.

The state minister said it was unfortunate to note that in the country’s 70-year history, no elected prime minister completed her or his mandated term. She said students of politics should think why elected assemblies from time to time were dissolved. “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif advanced democratisation in the country,” she said. “We want rule of masses through democracy.”

The minister urged the participants of the event to study constitution as without knowing it they would not be aware of their rights and laws related to it.

She said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif presented himself before accountability and there was no charge of corruption against him.

She added that the government aspired to build Pakistan based on the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Published in Daily Times, August 12^th 2017.