ISLAMABAD  -  Former President Asif Ali Zardari said yesterday that 18th Amendment purged the Constitution of dictatorial changes. In his message on the day of approval of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution, he said that on this day, the 1973 Constitution was cleared of the amendments made by the dictators. The fruits of the 18th Amendment are coming to light. Giving autonomy to provinces has strengthened the Federation.

Zardari said that 18th Amendment was a charter between the federation and the provinces. He said that the confidence of democratic political parties in the 1973 Constitution was satisfactory. The President of PPP Parliamentarians said that the violators of the Constitution assassinated the founder of the 1973 Constitution, Quaid-e-Awam Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto but could not repeal the Constitution.

He said that restoration of the constitution in its original form was the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for which she endured many hardships, hardships of imprisonment and suffered many traumas. PPP workers struggled under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto. The PPP workers accepted executions, flogging, and endured imprisonment but did not give up their struggle to restore the constitution.  Zardari said that Parliament is supreme and bowing before Parliament is an expression of loyalty to the Constitution.