Unity needed to steer Pakistan out of crisis: PM Gilani

Prime Minister vows to protect democracy, trichotomy of powers, seeks assistance from parties to tackle challenges.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday vowed to protect the democracy and trichotomy of powers, saying no single party alone could meet the challenges confronting the country and added that only together could the political leadership could overcome crisis.

“If we are together we can meet all the challenges of terrorism, law and order in Karachi, and economic challenges. We need to make concerted efforts and its responsibility falls on all of us to protect Pakistan as no single party can steer the country out of these crises,” the Prime Minister said while speaking in the National Assembly.

The Prime Minister pledged to defend democracy and the Constitution which was a gift of Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muahmmad Ali Jinnah for the nation. He said the Quaid-e-Azam gave the concept of equality and parliamentary form of government and got the motherland through a democratic way.

The Prime Minister also paid tribute to 0all the political leadership and Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who gave us the 1973 Constitution and parliamentary form of government.

He said the Quaid-i-Azam gave the concept of parliamentary system for Pakistan and awareness for rights and autonomy for provinces. This Assembly deserved credit to materialize the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by restoring the 1973 Constitution in its original form, he added.

The Prime Minister said that the country was gripped by terrorism but the nation was very courageous and it would face it bravely as it had boldly faced international financial recession, floods and other challenges.

Gilani said “like we passed the 18th Amendment and NFC Award collectively, we pledge today to make our economy and defence stronger”.

“I assure you that our nuclear programme is in safe hands and no covetous eye can be cast on it as our armed forces are capable of protecting our nuclear assets and frontiers,” the Prime Minister said.

He said, “we would not let the sacrifices of Quaid-i-Azam, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto go in vain and protect the democracy and trichotomy of powers.”