ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday called the unanimous passage of the 19th Amendment Bill from the Senate a “New Year’s gift” to the nation.
Speaking in the House on Thursday, Gilani said the passage of the bill reflected maturity of the political leadership of the country. He said it had dispelled the impression that parliament was ineffective.
Gilani also announced the highest civil award, Nishan-e-Pakistan, for members of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms, to be awarded in January next year.
The prime minister attributed the passage of 19th Amendment to politics of reconciliation, which involved broad-based understanding between the judiciary, establishment, presidency, parliament, provinces and the media.
He said the 19th Amendment Bill indicated that the government respected the judiciary and the latter respected parliament by referring the bill back to it. The prime minister said the bill had shut the doors for a clash of institutions, which was feared for long.
He said the government had shun politics of victimisation and laid the foundations of nobility. “There is not a single political prisoner in the country today,” he added.
Gilani came hard on rumour mills, asking them to end the practice or give a final deadline for the ouster of the government.
He said the government had set a direction for coming generations. “We have made our contributions, including the NFC Award, provincial autonomy, empowerment of Gilgit-Baltistan and the development of FATA,” he said.
