ISLAMABAD - Lashing out at the state’s helplessness to tackle the sit-in of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR), Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani said on Monday that there can only be politics in the country if there would be a state.
“There can be politics only if there is a state. Politics will go in the right direction if society takes a right path,” he said adding that if warlords were allowed to control society, neither the state nor any institution would exist. He said that the capital was under siege for the past many days but it seemed that the government had no consideration for the crisis.
He expressed these views at the inauguration ceremony of the monument of martyred journalists at the National Press Club (NPC).
The Senate Chairman paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of journalism who laid their lives in the line of duty.
Keeping in view the volatile political situation and precarious internal environment, Rabbani appealed to all political forces and the leadership to act with sagacity and take prudent steps to rid the country of the quagmire, “posing threats to our peace, security, and stability”.
Rabbani said that warlordism was detrimental to the growth of the society and the people would resist any move hampering the democratic process. He cautioned that the country was faced with internal and external threats and there was a dire need to adopt a sagacious approach to address the challenges being faced on social and political fronts.
“All institutions have to work within their constitutional ambit which would help overcome challenges,” Rabbani said. He termed the recent attacks on journalists unfortunate and observed that government needs to take urgent steps for protection of journalists and media workers.
Rabbani said that Quaid–e–Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah presented a concept of progressive democratic state in his August 1947 speech, however, unfortunately, it was overwhelmed by extremist ideologies. He said that there was no room for ‘warlordism’ in the country.
He said that the construction of a monument at the NPC was a positive sign which showed that sacrifices of journalists would not go unnoticed. The Senate chairman said that the people of Pakistan including media persons, political workers, and labourers sacrificed their lives for upholding the Constitution, the rule of law and internal stability and establishment of such monuments was a manifestation of the fact that the people recognize sacrifices of those unsung heroes. He said that the people were brutally tortured, put behind bars and had to face atrocities at the hands of state and non-state actors, however, their resolve remained unshaken.
He said that globally such contribution was acknowledged and was given a symbolic recognition in the shape of a monument but unfortunately in Pakistan contributions of the civil society, media, political workers for democracy and human rights were not given a proper recognition. He said that journalists were being manhandled, tortured and subjected to unnecessary pressures. He said that in societies where institutions were weak and political uncertainty prevails, the role of journalists gets more prominence.
“The Senate stands in solidarity with the journalist community over Ahmad Noorani’s incident,” he said adding that the Upper House was adjourned in solidarity and the government was directed to bring the journalist protection bill, otherwise, the Parliament itself would take the initiative. He underscored the need for strict implementation of the law.
“Unfortunately, in Pakistan, we work under a system which has five types of applicability of law,” he said. Rabbani said that one set of rules and laws are for the ruling elite, the other set of rules are for the ruling civilian elite, the third category of rules was for the collaborators of the ruling elite, the fourth for the rich and the powerful and fifth for the ordinary citizens.
He said that according to the Constitution, all citizens were equal before the law and deserve to be treated equally.
OUR STAFF REPORTER