Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that democracy is the future of Pakistan and gone are the days of unconstitutional steps.
In a statement to mark October 12, when his (Nawaz’s) government was dismissed in 1999, the prime minister said there was an elected parliament, independent judiciary and dynamic media to protect the constitution and rights of Pakistan’s citizens.
The prime minister said now the country would only be governed according to the constitution, adding that no steps could be taken which were against the will of the people.
He said Pakistan’s future lies in democracy and no dictator would be able to take unconstitutional steps against the desire and aspirations of the masses. He assured to strengthen democracy in the country and protect the fundamental rights of the people as provided in the constitution.
Meanwhile, in a message on the occasion of International Disaster Awareness Day “Living with Disability and Disasters” being observed today (Sunday), the prime minister said his government believed that such persons could also greatly contribute towards sustainable development and hoped that observance of this day would further illuminate the potential of people with disabilities.
He said the Day reminds them of the importance of persons with disabilities and vulnerable citizens who were crippled during disaster situations. As per WHO report on disability (2011), 10 percent of Pakistan’s population is living with some form of disability. People with disabilities can play the same important role in the development of a country as common people do, provided an inclusive approach is adopted for mainstreaming them, he added.
He said their disaster and risk management plans and policies would remain inconclusive till the element of disability was included in disaster risk reduction processes. He stressed that they must focus to integrate persons with disabilities in the formulation of policies meant for disaster risk reduction. Only then they could have a resilient society to better cope with disasters, he added.
