Judiciary cannot rewrite Constitution: PM

Shehbaz says time for state institutions to keep national interests supreme

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that it was time for state institutions to unite, uphold the Constitution and keep national interests supreme.

Addressing the launch of the Constitution mobile application, he said Pakistan was currently at a crossroads of challenges, which required a sense of wholeness to be demonstrated by state institutions.

The premier stated that the Constitution had its roots in parliament, adding that according to the globally-recognised concept, the judiciary could only interpret the law, not rewrite it.

“Nowhere in the world does a court issue a stay order against a legislation which is still in the making,” he said.

The premier also urged the judiciary to reassess its role and become the protector of the Constitution.

The prime minister said the Constitution of 1973 was the result of the hard work of politicians from all backgrounds, who arrived at a consensus in the formulation of the sacred document.

He recalled that veteran politicians of their times including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mufti Mehmood, Khan Abdul Wali Khan and several others rose above their political differences to write a Constitution that acted as a binding force for the federation.

He continued that although politicians made mistakes in the past, now was the time to rectify them.

“We have indeed learned a lesson and we are making efforts to take Pakistan out of these problems,” he said, adding that great people learn from their mistakes and hold up national interests.

Shehbaz stated that the government took over in difficult times, however, it would not hesitate in protecting the state and the Constitution.

In connection with the golden jubilee of the country’s Constitution 1973, the mobile app was developed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the leadership of Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and in collaboration with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The app will act as a digital source to help raise awareness among the general public about the Constitution of 1973.

PM Shehbaz on the 50th anniversary of the Constitution said that the decision to include it in school and college syllabi was remarkable in raising awareness about its sanctity.

He expressed the hope that the younger generations would learn about the Constitution and that healthy academic debates would be held at educational institutions.

The prime minister felicitated the Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and NADRA on the launch of the Constitution of 1973 mobile application.