Media watch: Coming together
Media discusses future of relationship between parliament and judiciary after approval of 19th amendment.
Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.
A small victory
Perhaps given the climate of oppression under which the superior judiciary has operated in recent years, the fierce push back from the SC has been inevitable. However, for constitutional and democratic norms to take root in Pakistan, every institution must act within the confines of what it is designed to do and against the touchstone of internationally accepted norms and principles. Stability and democratic progress need no judicial adventurism or novel approaches. (dawn.com)
19th Amendment
In keeping with the nature of parliamentary democracy, the prime minister gets more symbolic weight – rather than the president who should play the role of a figurehead instead of exercising power in his own right. The fact that this does not happen in our setup contributes to the problems within it. The passing of the amendment means that for now the possibility of a confrontation between institutions may have been thrust away from the centre of stage. (thenews.com.pk)
Towards maturity
Pakistan had to wait so long for this to happen because of frequent military coups. The democratic process has been interrupted so many times that systems could not evolve. Every time there was an intervention, the question of how to govern the country went back to the drawing board. How can the various constituents of the system work together in such an environment? The history of democratic experience stands witness to the fact that continuity strengthens a system and ensures its success. (dailytimes.com.pk)
A small victory
Perhaps given the climate of oppression under which the superior judiciary has operated in recent years, the fierce push back from the SC has been inevitable. However, for constitutional and democratic norms to take root in Pakistan, every institution must act within the confines of what it is designed to do and against the touchstone of internationally accepted norms and principles. Stability and democratic progress need no judicial adventurism or novel approaches. (dawn.com)
19th Amendment
In keeping with the nature of parliamentary democracy, the prime minister gets more symbolic weight – rather than the president who should play the role of a figurehead instead of exercising power in his own right. The fact that this does not happen in our setup contributes to the problems within it. The passing of the amendment means that for now the possibility of a confrontation between institutions may have been thrust away from the centre of stage. (thenews.com.pk)
Towards maturity
Pakistan had to wait so long for this to happen because of frequent military coups. The democratic process has been interrupted so many times that systems could not evolve. Every time there was an intervention, the question of how to govern the country went back to the drawing board. How can the various constituents of the system work together in such an environment? The history of democratic experience stands witness to the fact that continuity strengthens a system and ensures its success. (dailytimes.com.pk)