LAHORE – The 18th Amendment made parliament sovereign and restored the powers of the prime minister’s office, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Saturday. Speaking at an awards’ ceremony at the National School of Public Policy, Gilani vowed to take all political parties on board to solve the problems of the people. He said democracy was difficult, but the desired way.
Gilani said the government worked hard to strengthen the democratic system in the country during the last three years. He said the PPP-led government was struggling to resolve public problems by promoting politics of reconciliation.
“A sitting president, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, willingly surrendered his powers to the prime minister and parliament,” Gilani said. He said that the amendment also promoted genuine federalism and provincial autonomy, and paved the way for good governance in the country, adding that the 19th Amendment went a step further and improved the procedure for the appointment of judges to superior courts.
The prime minister said that during last three years, the government’s focus was on preserving and promoting democracy.
“Democracy is necessary to build a prosperous Pakistan where the rights of the people are secured and protected, and where women and minorities are encouraged to make a constructive contribution to national development,” he added.
He said the government had made a conscious effort to pursue policies that help people, strengthen institutions, and contribute to the growth and development of democracy.
“The people of Pakistan have now learned a lesson from our own history that democracy is not easy but democracy is good. Democracies are noisy; reflect power tussles, indeed at times brinkmanship. But it is only through democracy that we can work together and make progress.” the Prime Minister said.
