NA speaker inaugurates constitutional monument ‘Yadgar-e-Dastoor’

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Monday said the April 10, 1973 is an unforgettable day in Pakistan’s political history as the nation was blessed with parliamentary, federal and consensus-based Constitution.

“This day is to acknowledge political maturity and sagaciousness of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto whose political wisdom blessed the nation with 1973 Constitution,” he said, while inaugurating ‘Yadgar-e-Dastoor, the constitutional monument.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the country’s prosperity and development is interlinked with the implementation of true spirit of democratic, federal, Islamic and consensus-based Constitution.

He said the passage of 1973 Constitution is a hallmark event in the political history of Pakistan. He further said the principles outlined in the Constitution reflect Islamic, federal, democratic and parliamentary Pakistan and these are the same principles which were outlined by Quaid-i—Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his first address to the first constituent assembly on August 11, 1948.

Paying tribute to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said it was his political maturity and sagaciousness which blessed the nation with the sacred document in the form of 1973 Constitution.

Pervaiz Ashraf said the Constitution is a unique model of national unity and political consensus.

Highlighting the significance of Constitution, he said April 10 should be celebrated as the national day like August 14. He said the construction of the constitutional monument is a very important and positive step and lauded the efforts of former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani and his entire committee to build the constitutional monument.

He further said ‘Bagh-e-Dastur’ would also be constructed along with the memorial to be constructed at D-Chowk on the Dastur Highway. “The construction of this garden will not only provide a beautiful recreation place to the citizens, but will also provide a sufficient justification for the visitors of Islamabad to visit the Constitution’s memorial,” he added.

The NA speaker said the monument would reflect the glorious history and the struggle of those political leaders whose hard work and political insight blessed Pakistan with the Constitution.

Later on, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf along with Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani and other parliamentarians visited the monument of unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives for the supremacy of the Constitution.