A functional House must for a functional country: Bilawal Bhutto

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said that a functional Parliament was imperative for a functional country.

Speaking in the National Assembly on a point of order, he said that the Parliament was responsible not only to legislate but also create a conducive environment. “The cycle of protest rallies must end, with the focus shifting towards serving the people and safeguarding their rights.”

He asked Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to form a high-powered committee of the House to help restore its prestige and further improve its functioning.

Referring to the students seated in the galleries, he said in the wake of ongoing political situation they might have concerns about the country’s future. In a democratic country, being a parliamentarian was a matter of prestige and honour, but many of them would not aspire to become politicians, he added.

“Though politics has become a curse, but it will still help create employment opportunities for the youth, besides providing economic justice and good governance if practiced passionately. The country, which is currently facing multiple crises, will lead the region when today’s children will be grown up.”

He stressed that without establishing the supremacy of Constitution, no institution could function, and for that the members of the House must maintain a working relationship.

Bilawal said the government was constantly engaged in firefighting as the opposition continued to make a hue and cry instead of doing their duty of holding the former accountable.

If the opposition members claimed that the government’s economic or security policies were flawed, then they must propose solutions, he added.

Side by side raising the matter of their imprisoned leaders, the opposition must also take up more pressing issues being faced by the people such as unemployment, inflation, education, health, and terrorism, he added.

Their chief minister did no service to the people of his province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) by abusing the media persons and opposition, and threatening the Anti-Terrorism Court judges, he added.

Likewise, the government’s ‘vindictive actions’ against the opposition would not bring any economic development in the country, Bilawal remarked.

The PPP Chairman said his party had harboured no personal grudges against Imran Khan when he was the prime minister.

Their only concern, he added, was to protect the Constitution and democracy, for which his family and party had given sacrifices, and to solve the problems of the people.

It was the main factor that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif had signed the Charter of Democracy, he said.

Bilawal recalled that in the past it was the government’s prerogative to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner, but his party introduced the constitutional amendment giving the Leader of the Opposition a due role in the process, and the same was in the case of an interim government.

Sanity should prevail and both sides (government and opposition) must work together for the country’s prosperity rising above their personal grievances, he advised.

Bilawal said the PPP had contested elections to provide economic justice to the people.

He said it was time to evaluate the government’s performance on key issues. The incumbent government had set the target to reduce inflation to 12 per cent, which had already dropped to 9.6 per cent, he added.

“At a time when we are criticizing the government’s economic policies, we should commend its efforts for reduction in the inflation rate.”

He recalled that from 2008 to 2013, the then PPP government engaged the opposition, and developed a revolutionary, consensus document that strengthened all the constitutional institutions.

A lobby still existed which was trying to undermine the consensus among democratic forces, he added.

He expressed his regrets over the resignation of Akhtar Mengal from the National Assembly’s membership. The senior politician who had played a significant role in the politics of Balochistan, he added.

He reminded that during the PDM government, he had advised the then opposition against quitting the assemblies. Due to that action, the opposition as well as the country were even suffering today, he added.