LAHORE – The participants of 16th Speakers’ Conference, which concluded on Wednesday, have resolved to make every possible effort to protect democracy and parliamentary institutions, maintaining that a commitment to the cause was vital for country’s survival and security.
The speakers and deputy speakers of the National Assembly, four provincial assemblies and legislative assemblies of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, renewed their obligation towards democracy in a joint communique, issued at the end of the two-day moot held at Punjab Assembly. They named it “Lahore Declaration”. Speaker National Assembly, Dr Fehmida Mirza, read out the 14-point declaration before representatives of various media organisations at Punjab Assembly’s cafeteria here on Wednesday. Speaker Punjab Assembly, Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood, Sindh Assembly Speaker, Nisar Khoro, Speaker NWFP Assembly, Karamatullah Khan, Speaker, Balochistan Assembly, Muhammad Aslam Bhutani and deputy speakers of all the provincial assemblies accompanied her.
She underscored that supremacy of parliament and respect for law and the constitution must be ensured. To accomplish this objective, she added, it was imperative that all institutions should perform their respective responsibilities while remaining within their constitutional ambit.
Expressing her satisfaction over working of the assemblies, she emphasised the need for improving the performance of standing committees of the House by sharing each otherÂ’s experience.
She said the speakers were of the considered opinion that administrative autonomy of the provinces would have to be ensured to strengthen the federation, and to ensure this to happen, they had also pledged to render any sacrifice to support the federation of Pakistan.
Fehmida stated that it was necessary to continue the journey towards achieving sustainable and real democracy in pursuance of the resolve expressed by Muslims of the sub-continent in the form of Pakistan Resolution, passed in the historic city of Lahore.
She further told media persons there was an agreement among the speakers that the tradition of evolving consensus on national issues, set by the present elected assemblies must be pursued to send a message to the world that Pakistani nation was united, highly responsible and mature.
The joint communique also asserted that peaceful resolution of Kashmir conflict was vital for lasting peace in South Asia, with a view to easing tension in the region and to liberate the oppressed Kashmiris from subjugation and tyranny. It urged the world community to play its role for maintaining peace in the region in accordance with the UN resolutions. It further declared that solution to the issue lies in accepting right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
With a view to addressing the issues of poverty, terrorism, ignorance and maintenance of endurable peace in the region, the speakers resolved in their joint declaration that all democratic institutions in the country would endeavour to improve contacts with respective parliaments of neighbouring countries in a bid to promote “Parliamentary Diplomacy”.
The conference also suggested some changes in educational curriculum to inculcate in the minds of new generation the importance of democracy and to make it aware of the democratic struggle for parliamentary democracy. The other change suggested in the curriculum relates to induction of new chapters to convey the teachings of Sufis and other religious scholars to the young generation.
It urged the national parliament and the provincial assemblies to make appropriate legislation to protect the rights of the children by providing protection to them as enshrined in Islam against all excesses including child labour and other injustices.
While acknowledging the role of minorities in countryÂ’s development, the declaration demanded that rights of religious minorities must be protected as mentioned in article 20, 22 and 25 of the Constitution as well as true spirit of Islam.
The speakers also vowed to extend “Women’s Parliamentary Caucus” as constituted in the parliament, to the provincial assemblies, including those of Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, to ensure participation of women in national development.
The speakers declared suicide bombings and terrorism as un-Islamic, unethical and inhuman acts, asserting nation would have to move forward and erect “an iron wall” to eradicate this menace. The declaration also acknowledged sacrifices of Pakistanis who have been victims of terrorism, while paying tributes to all martyrs including Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
It also recognised the sacrifices rendered by armed forces, Rangers and police in countering terrorism.
Talking about agenda of the two-day meeting, Dr Fehmida said speakers pondered over various suggestions to bring uniformity in the working of national and provincial assemblies by following the same set of rules of procedures. She said a proposal to enhance the duration of assembly “Question Hour” and working days in a parliamentary year also came under discussion. She said a sub-committee had been constituted to ensure implementation of these suggestions.
To a question about giving a time frame regarding passage of the constitutional package by the Parliament, currently being drafted by the constitutional reforms committee, she said she had talked to chairman of the said committee, Senator Raza Rabbani, who said that nation would soon be getting good news in this regard. However, she did not deem fir to give any timeframe in this regard, stressing that her role was confined only to forming of that committee.