Nisar’s reply to UAE minister earns him warm welcome in Senate

ISLAMABAD: Legislators in the Senate on Monday came down hard on the reported warning given by a UAE minister to Pakistan while showering praise on Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for his ‘very good’ response to him.
As the House resumed its business after the prorogation of the joint sitting of parliament’s two chambers last Friday, several members spoke with regard to the Constitution Day celebrations, and called for strict compliance with it, while lamenting that the real issue was of its non-implementation in letter and spirit and that there was no other option but to uphold the Constitution and strengthen democracy.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed during the debate on a motion moved by Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi on the state of education, welcomed the interior minister’s reaction to the UAE minister’s statement, who had warned Pakistan of ‘serious repercussions’ for the resolution its parliament had adopted.
He said that it was good that the government had the guts to speak out the truth on the Yemen crisis. However, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani expunged the remarks passed against the (UAE) minister. Mushahid had used a term to describe the minister without naming him.
Similarly, some adjectives used by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s parliamentary leader Nauman Wazir were also erased from the record. The senator wondered that he just could not understand what serious repercussions were referred to by the minister. He asked would they stop funding some religious seminaries and other projects and also would themselves replace Pakistanis as labourers by sending them back home. The senator said the statement by the interior minister was quite good.
Some ministers welcomed the interior minister by thumping desks upon his arrival in the House after several months of boycott. The chair also welcomed Nisar and said he had come to the Senate after a long absence. Earlier, expressing their views on the importance of the 1973

Constitution, senators, including Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, Sirajul Haq, Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Ilyas Bilour, Nauman Wazir, Dr Ashok Kumar, Dr Jehangzeb Jamaldeni, Maulana Attaur Rehman, Saeed Ghani and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra underlined the need for respecting the Constitution and following it in letter and spirit.
Some senators blamed military dictators for suspending, abrogating and holding the Constitution in abeyance from time to time for vested interests, forcing political forces and democratic governments to focus on its protection and restoration rather than addressing key national issues.
Politicians and political workers were praised for their long struggle for the protection of the Constitution, braving lashes and imprisonment. It was noted that some politicians’ families were ruined but they did not give in on their struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution.
Senator Farhatullah Babar charged that the civil-military bureaucracy had developed a feeling that executive orders were important than the Constitution, as its suspension and abrogation and amendments were done through issuing executive orders. He proposed chapters about the Constitution and its history should be made part of the syllabi.
Sirajul Haq and Maulana Attaur Rehman noted that it was envisaged in the Constitution to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state but this was never followed and basic articles pertaining to the welfare of masses were hardly given due importance by the respective rulers.
Ilyas Bilour said that Concurrent List should be completely abolished from the constitution. Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini demanded to ensure equal development across the country without any discrimination.
Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq said imposition of Martial Laws in the past had damaged the country’s socio-economic basis. He said, “If we had respected the rights of people of East Pakistan and had not discriminated against people of East Pakistan in terms of their electoral mandate and financial rights, Bangladesh would have not been a reality”.
He deplored the hanging of those, who had opposed separation of East Pakistan and pointed out in contrast, South Africa had opted for truth and reconciliation to make a fresh start.
In his views, Rabbani said that the decision to celebrate the Constitution of Pakistan Day was made to reiterate to masses that the national document was the only route through which, the Federation could be strengthened. He said the State institutions would have to be strengthened under the Constitution and that strengthening of the Constitution was like strengthening of the federating units and the Federation itself.
The Senate chairman warned that if any arrangement other than the Constitution and democracy was adopted, this would endanger the Federation.
The House witnessed a lively discussion on the state of education with senators strongly advocating allocation of at least five percent of the GDP for education, review of the curriculum, giving due respect and privileges to teachers and inclusion of chapters on the Constitution and tolerance in syllabi.
They contended that there existed no uniform education system in Pakistan, which was encouraging class system in the country. They said the culture of private school system was out of reach of the middle and higher-middle classes, as fees structure of these schools remained unchecked. Senator Mohsin Aziz urged the government to evolve code of conduct for teachers and provide the teachers with modern training.
Senator Khushbakhat Shujaat proposed that chapters of morality should be made part of the syllabi, ensuring feudal culture was done away with in educational institutions besides taking steps for upholding merit.
Minister of State for Education Muhammad Balighur Rehman highlighted the measures being taken by the government to improve education system in the country.