A special convention at the National Assembly marked the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Constitution on Monday with representatives of the executive, legislature and judicial branches of the state vowing to safeguard the Constitution.
Convened at Parliament House, the event commenced with speeches from lawmakers, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, as well as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
Kicking off the convention, the prime minister recalled that the incumbent government had been formed by a coalition of parties through a constitutional process—the vote of no-confidence that ousted former prime minister Imran Khan. Maintaining that the ruling alliance had taken on prevailing challenges with an aim to address them through collective wisdom for the national interest, he clarified that did not mean they had adopted the same policies.
Noting that the allied parties would go into elections on their respective manifestoes, he stressed that they were nonetheless united in their mission to save the country.
In his turn at the rostrum, former president Zardari urged the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to initiate dialogue, but stressed this required party chief Khan to come to the prime minister for talks. “We cannot afford chaos. We can request the P.M. for dialogue with the opposition, but they have to come to him as he is the prime minister,” he said, adding that the head of government was the “only valid authority” to spearhead a dialogue. “One cannot walk into a dialogue with pre-conditions,” he said, noting the PTI chief appeared to want decisions that were solely in his favor.
Alleging that the PTI was paying Rs. 30,000 each to its workers, he claimed he was aware of the sources of this funding, adding that these “employees” were used to spread propaganda against the country and its institutions.
The foreign minister, meanwhile, described the PTI chairman as a “Frankenstein” who had been imposed on the country under a “10-year doctrine orchestrated up by his facilitators.” Under this “doctrine,” he claimed, Khan was to be prime minister for a decade, with similar extensions for the chief justice and Army chief. The plan, he claimed, was to have a “selected P.M., a selected chief justice, and a selected chief of Army staff to impose a selected martial law.”
Referring to the no-trust vote that led to Khan’s ouster, Bhutto-Zardari said it had marked the first time in the country’s history that a prime minister had been sent home through Parliament rather than the judiciary or the military.
While stressing on the need for unity among political and democratic forces, he said all institutions should work within their constitutional ambit to bring Pakistan out of all prevailing crises. He warned that undemocratic forces had taken advantage of differences between politicians and political parties in the past. “It is the right time to forge unity and work jointly for political and economic stability in the country,” he added.
Describing April 10 as an “historic” day because it had given a Constitution to the country that had kept it intact amidst various challenges, he said it had laid the foundation of decades of political struggle. He also noted that while some judges had always rejected dictatorship and gave their dissenting notes against undemocratic steps, there were some who had supported dictators and announced decisions against prime ministers.
Urging Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to sit with his fellow judges and sort out differences to uphold the integrity and dignity of the court in the eyes of the people, he voiced confidence that the consensus of the Supreme Court would withstand any conspiracy to subvert the Constitution.
Bhutto-Zardari also defended incumbent Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, saying he was working to foil the PTI chief’s attacks on the economy. “Imran Khan had imposed the economic and security crises on the country merely for protecting his rule,” he added.
Defenders of Constitution
Justice Qazi Faez Isa, meanwhile, sought to dampen the political discourse, stating that he was attending the special session because he and his institution were defenders of the Constitution. “I too have taken the oath to protect the Constitution and uphold it. Should I fail to do so, you have the right to criticize me,” he said, defending the fundamental right of freedom of expression.
Stressing that the Supreme Court “stood by the Constitution,” he said that “after God” it was the apex court’s primary responsibility to protect it. “This book is the identity of Pakistan and its people,” he said, adding that the three pillars of the country must maintain a balance to function properly.
“Our job is to make decisions quickly and in accordance with the Constitution. Your job is to legislate,” he said, adding that Parliament and the bureaucracy should aim to serve people.
“Before I came here I asked what today’s agenda would be and I was assured that there would be no political discussion and only the Constitution would be discussed and celebrated. However, there were plenty of political discussions, which I cannot deny you the right to since it is given to you by this very Constitution,” he said. “However, I would like to clarify that while I have heard your discussion, it does not mean, I agree with it. Let me clarify, I have come to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Constitution,” he said. “It may be possible that tomorrow you are presented in a case before me. Do not then say that I ruled against you despite being invited here today,” he joked.
The judge also recalled his father’s role in the history of Pakistan, as well as the impact of the dissolution of the constituent assembly by Governor General Ghulam Muhammad in 1954. He praised Justice Dorab Patel for refusing to take oath under General Ziaul Haq in 1981 and also lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decision to celebrate the Constitution. “We need to truly cherish the Constitution,” he said. “Not because it guarantees my salary, but because it is essential for us and safeguards our rights,” he added.
While Justice Isa was the only judge of the Supreme Court to attend the gathering, sources within the government say invitations were issued to all judges but they were unable to participate.
Resolutions
The special session also adopted several resolutions—one moved by the prime minister declaring April 10 as National Constitution Day; another moved by Dar declared the old hall of the National Assembly where the Constitution was passed as a national heritage site; a third moved by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb aimed at incorporating fundamental aspects of the Constitution in the education curriculum; and a fourth presented by Senator Raza Rabbani paid paying tribute to the framers of the Constitution and the entire National Assembly of 1973.