Islamabad (Web Desk): Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday said that Parliament is the supreme institution and it holds the authority to enact laws.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Tuesday, he said “We respect all institutions, but they have the mandate to interpret the constitution and not to rewrite.”
He expressed concern that interference from one institution into another would weaken the democracy.
“Democracy is far superior to dictatorship and that the respect and constitutional sanctity of the parliament must not be compromised,” the minister said.
He stressed the importance of continuing the democratic journey, acknowledging that while democracy has its shortcomings, these are present even in developed democracies like the UK and the US.
“The US and UK are also struggling; candidates are being attacked in the US,” he added.
Khawaja Asif said that despite political differences, the institutions of the country must not be attacked.
“No system is flawless. We should be thankful that the system is operational in our country. Some people may have some reservations about it, but Parliament is respectable, and question marks should not be placed on it,” he said.
Khawaja Asif said that argued that questioning the legitimacy of Parliament would weaken the system and urged political parties to work towards strengthening democracy and the Parliament.
Regarding the Kashmir issue, the minister highlighted national unity on the matter and reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the Kashmir issue must be resolved in accordance with United Nations (UN) resolutions.
He lamented that resolutions on Kashmir and Palestine had not been implemented and said that the will of the people of Kashmir must be respected.
“Pakistan has fought wars over Kashmir and that the people of Kashmir have made significant sacrifices for liberation from Indian occupation,” the defence minister said.