ISLAMABAD    -   Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri said that the continuity and stability of the democratic institutions was imperative for the progress of the country. In their message on the International Day of Democracy being observed on Tuesday, they said democracy ensured basic human rights including the right to freedom of expression. Speaker Asad Qaiser said through democracy the country could be led on the path of progress and development and in the best public interest. Deputy Speaker National Assembly, in his message said that democracy was the way by which common man participated in the affairs of the state. He urged the regional and international community to support the Kashmiri people for their basic rights of freedom. In his message on the eve of this international Democracy day, Secretary General United Nations António Guterres said that as the world confronted COVID-19, democracy was crucial in ensuring the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for the response to the pandemic.