ISLAMABAD – Terming the present Constitution an amalgamation of presidential and parliamentary systems, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that his party would revert to the true parliamentary form of government and amendments would be introduced in the Constitution in this connection.
Responding to the questions of students after addressing the 7th Convocation of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), the premier said there would be no clash if all the institutions function under constitutional limits.
He further said that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto envisioned parliamentary form of government for the country and if all state institutions work according to the Constitution, there will be no confrontation between them.
Prime Minister said that the current system in the country is neither parliamentary nor presidential rather it is hotchpotch of the systems.
To another question, Gilani said that the government was focusing its efforts on sectors of education and health and has especially asked the Friends of Democratic Pakistan to make funding for education.
He said Pakistan believes in excellent relations with its neighbouring countries, India, Afghanistan and Iran.
“A stable Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan, which has attended conferences and held Jirgas to arrange financial assistance and better bilateral relations with its neighbour,” he added.
He said that the government believed in democracy and free press and did not want to put any curbs on the media.
To a question, he said that terrorists were working on a foreign agenda to destabilise Pakistan and Afghanistan economically and politically.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis would be establishing contacts with other countries for export of manpower, he said adding the government was making its best efforts to control law and order situation for creating conducive environment for investment and job growth.
He said that the internally displaced persons would start going back to their respective areas from July 13.
Earlier, addressing the 7th Convocation of Islamic International University Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said, “Illiteracy and ignorance are root causes of terrorism and extremism, which pose great threat to the Islamic world and brings it in direct confrontation with other civilizations.
He said that terrorism also had its roots in the misinterpretation of the spirit of Islamic injunctions and teachings by those who practise this destructive ideology.
“The challenge of extremism facing the Muslim Ummah can only be tackled through education with the more enlightened perspectives on the Islamic teachings,” he added.
He said institutions like International Islamic University, can make a significant contribution in restoring the image of Islam as the most enlightened and progressive way of life and in promoting rift-free relations with other civilizations.
Gilani said education is a religious duty of every Muslim and it not only helps in refining and harnessing human faculties but also acts as an agent of change and progress.
“It is a best defence against the forces of ignorance and the only answer to the challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah,” he said adding the scourge of religious extremism and terrorism had been perceived unfairly by the world as a face of Islam.
Gilani said, the present government is a strong proponent of education and is striving hard to translate into reality the vision of the great leader late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for human deliverance and progress through education.
He lauded the expansion and inclusion of modern disciplines, especially science and technology, engineering, computer sciences and social sciences in the university curriculum.
The Prime Minister also appreciated the endeavours of the university for providing equal opportunities to the female students so that they can have unhindered access to higher learning.
He said the emphasis on research based education and promotion of international dialogue amongst eminent scholars from different countries is an imaginative initiative by the university, which will create better understanding of Islamic values and remove misgivings about Islam.
He said the university is developing into one of the best international centres of learning for the students from all over the world, especially from the brotherly Muslim countries besides establishing its role as a think-tank for the Muslim Ummah.
“In spite of the fact that we have inherited a crippled economy and are engaged in the struggle against religious extremism and militancy within our borders leading to a big drain on our resources, the government has increased the budgetary allocation for education from Rs 24.4 billion to Rs 31.1 billion in the current budget”, Prime Minister Gilani said.
“Higher Education has also been given due priority. Development funding to Higher Education Commission has been enhanced by 60 per cent to Rs 22.5 billion in addition to Rs 21.5 billion for the current budgetary provision, representing an increase of 26 per cent over the previous year,” he added.
He called knowledge a common human heritage, which must be shared among all nations. “No nation can conceive of any tangible progress without advancement in scientific and technological knowledge and without appropriate investment in the development of human resources.”
“I am aware of the fact that successive governments in Pakistan have been spending less than three per cent of the GDP on education as compared to five to seven per cent being spent by the developed countries. That, however, is going to change,” he added.
The Prime Minister announced Rs 450 million for the construction of a boarding house of the university. He also announced Rs one million for the students who topped in the examinations.
The Prime Minister awarded gold medals among the top students in different subjects of masters and doctorate degrees.
Speaking on the occasion, Rector International Islamic University Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik and President Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui highlighted the progress made by the Islamic University and described its future strategy for promotion of higher education in the country.