.jpg) Asif Ali Zardari |
Seventy two years ago, on this day, the Muslims of the subcontinent formally committed through a Resolution to work for achieving a separate homeland for themselves.
With the blessings of Allah and through the heroic struggle of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Jinnah and the founding fathers, the Muslims of the subcontinent achieved their objective on August 14, 1947, within a short span of seven years of the expression of their resolve.
Our founding fathers had resolved to carve out an independent state where there will be democracy and where constitutionalism and rule of law would reign supreme.
Unfortunately, successive dictators tried to stifle the democratic aspirations of the people. Constitutionalism and rule of law was trampled by dictators sometime under the doctrine of necessity and sometime under the theory of successful revolution.
The unanimous Constitution of 1973 was disfigured by successive dictators to suit their own political ambitions. But the democratic aspirations could never be killed.
On the eve of Pakistan Day this year, it is reassuring to realize that the Parliament has successfully removed the vestiges of dictatorship and restored the democratic Constitution of Pakistan.
On this day let us resolve that we will not permit any dictator to usurp the basic fundamental rights of our people nor allow them to trample on our democratic aspirations. This requires that we work in the spirit of tolerance, mutual accommodation and respect for dissent.
Let us also resolve that we will uphold the Constitution and never allow it to be abrogated, subverted or held in abeyance. It is also important to uphold the independence of judiciary in accordance with the Constitution.
Unless there is rule of law and everyone is equal before law and unless we all work within the constitutionally defined parameters, stability will elude us.
I hope that the Parliament, the people and all institutions of the state will work in harmony towards this end.
I pray to Almighty Allah to bless our efforts to prove ourselves worthy of the heritage bequeathed to us by the Quaid-e-Azam.
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