Pakistan: Constitution states only elected people will govern

DAILY TIMES

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that only chosen representatives of the people can govern the country and exercise state authority, as mentioned in the Objectives Resolution, which is part of the constitution. Talking to Law Minister Farooq H Naek on Sunday, the PM said that the government believed in the supremacy of law, and governing the country according to the dictates of the constitution, wherein a clear role had been assigned to the legislature, executive and the judiciary. He said that he believed in the independence of the judiciary as well as an independent judicial system. The meeting comes ahead of a week in which the Supreme Court will determine his fate in the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case. The prime minister conducted brainstorming on Sunday to defend the government’s position in the contempt of court bill and the NRO implementation cases in Supreme Court. He discussed with Naek the strategy adopted for the hearing of the two cases. Naek discussed the legal issues and the pending court cases, and apprised the PM of the initiatives taken to introduce local government system in FATA with a view to ensure people’s effective representation in the planning and execution of local development projects, including the reconciliation mechanism to settle local issues. The minister said that progress on the anti-terrorism law was satisfactorily and it would ensure the conviction of terrorists, adding that the conviction rate was presently embarrassingly low due to the defects in the existing law, and the criminals take full advantage of it. The evidence presented in the court by prosecutors does not stand the defence on legal and technical grounds; resultantly hardcore terrorists get free, he said. The minister said that the law to control theft of electricity, gas and other utilities and services was being undertaken on a fast-track basis. He said that instructions had been given to vigorously pursue the cases and get court stays vacated at the earliest, as “these have stuck WAPDA’s Rs 1.3 billion”. The law minister said that the government was bringing amendment in the existing law to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to the people, especially those who were poor and involved in minor offences. It is pertinent to mention here that the week begins today (Monday) with the hearing of a case regarding the contempt of court bill passed by parliament and challenged in the Supreme Court, followed by the NRO implementation case on Wednesday that sent former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani packing, and now haunts Raja Ashraf.