Says Parliament should decide national issues 

ISLAMABAD   -   Former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari said yesterday that the Pakistan People’s Party will continue to fight for democracy.

Zardari, who heads the PPP Parliamentarians, said whenever efforts have been made to crush the spirit of democracy, the leadership and workers of the PPP have sacrificed their lives to save it. “The leadership and workers of the PPP have led the people by lighting the lamp of democracy with their blood,” he said in his message on the occasion of the International Day of Democracy. He said, “Democracy is our soul.” Zardari said that PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the flag bearer of democracy. He said that the ‘Mother of Democracy’ Begum Nusrat Bhutto sacrificed her entire life for the sake of democracy in Pakistan. Whenever the sun of democracy has risen, it has done so from Garhi Khuda Baksh. He said that two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto endured imprisonment, oppression and violence for the sake of democracy. Zardari said that PPP workers were flogged and endured imprisonment for the sake of democracy. 

“An empowered Parliament is the hallmark of democracy. The PPP empowered the Parliament with the help of its allies,” he added. The PPP supremo further said: “Whenever efforts have been made to deviate from democracy and weaken and disrespect the parliament, the country has suffered difficulties. In order to combat challenges, it is important that there is a parliament elected by the people that works for the people.”