President, PM vow to strengthen democracy

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday urged the nation to renew its dedication to protecting and promoting democracy, ensuring that it continues to thrive as the guiding force for a stronger, more inclusive Pakistan.

In a message on the occasion of World Democracy Day, President Zardari said the World Democracy Day served as a powerful reminder of the significance of democracy in empowering citizens and fos-tering their active engagement in the political process.

"As the foundation of a just and inclusive society, democracy safeguards fundamental rights and pro-motes political, economic, and social participation for all.

"Democracy is inherently participatory, presupposes tolerance and respect of opposite views, political pluralism, and the protection of individual rights," said.

According to Zardari, democracy is not just procedural but substantive and essentially means the pro-tection of economic, social and cultural rights of public at large.

"What sets it apart from other systems of governance is its unwavering commitment to upholding the political, economic, and social rights of all citizens," he said.

In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan reiterates its resolve that the people, insti-tutions, and government will work together to protect democratic principles and fundamental rights and build a prosperous future. "Democracy is basically the voice of the people and the participation of the people in the system of government," he said.

He said the 1973 Constitution has a key and prominent status in the development of a democratic sys-tem of government in Pakistan, adding that parliament has a fundamental position in democratic insti-tutions because it is authorized to make all kinds of legislation to protect the public interest.

"Under the Constitution of Pakistan, parliament passes laws of public utility according to collective wis-dom, which are then implemented by the government," he said, adding that according to Article 25 of the Constitution, fundamental rights of every citizen of Pakistan are protected.

"Besides the rights of citizens, the Constitution of Pakistan lays the foundation for all provinces to play an effective role in the federation by giving equal status to all provinces," he said.

The PM said the Constitution not only defines fundamental rights but also protects them.

In his message, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged the nation to recognize that safeguarding democracy is a sacred duty of every citizen and institution, warning that any compromise on democra-cy is, in essence, a compromise on the country's future.