ISLAMABAD: The time has come, said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for the State institutions to band together to uphold the Constitution and maintain the supremacy of the national interest.
Speaking at the mobile application launch for the 1973 Constitution, he said Pakistan was currently facing a number of constitutional issues that required the State institutions to exhibit a sense of unity. The mobile application was created in conjunction with the country’s 1973 constitution’s golden jubilee by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which is led by Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb. The application will serve as a digital resource to promote public awareness of 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.
The prime minister felicitated the parliamentarians, Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and NADRA on the launch of the Constitution 1973 mobile application.
