Parliament can ensure national security, says Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said on Thursday that the Parliament has the potential to dictate the terms of reference not only for the national security but also the ability to tackle the serious foreign policy issues confronting the nation. 

“Those thinking that the Parliament is not an effective institution have their own vested interests and are not willing to transfer power to democratic institutions. The young generation should follow the legacy of those who believe in the principle that it is better to be destroyed by the guns of the dictator rather than by the pen of the historian,” he noted. 

Chairman Senate said this while addressing orientation / training programme for third batch of short term interns of the Senate at Pakistan Institution of Parliamentary Service (PIPS), Islamabad. Secretary Senate Amjed Pervez Malik and Executive Director of PIPS Zafarullah Khan were also present in the programme.

Chairman Senate said that effective measures had been taken for improving the working of Parliament with regard to its role in legislation, oversight of the executive and transparency. He said that the democracy cannot flourish without crossing over hurdles and obstacle with commitment and resolve. 

Rabbani said that the people were denied the fruits of democracy for long and whatever the cost, the new generation would not face these issues. “In the struggle of democratic rule and supremacy of Parliament we cannot afford to lose. The new generation should inculcate in their mind that democracy was not handed over in a silver platter rather the present parliament and democracy has been achieved by sacrifices. People were tortured, women were dragged on roads and dishonoured at police stations for their struggle for the rule of law which is vivid and depicted in the Gali-e-Dastoor and Monument of Unsung Heroes of Democracy constructed in premises of Parliament House,” he said. 

Rabbani said, “No government even that of my own party had the courage to build the monument and own these heroes of democratic struggle”. 

He pointed out that usually it was believed that the parliaments cannot tackle the issues of national security and foreign policy but the event of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) only yesterday had contradicted such assumptions as more than 70 delegates and parliamentarians of the Asian nations gathered to discuss such issues and agreeing with consensus on such matters.

This successful parliamentary diplomacy, he noted, had been conducted after the sabotage of Saarc Conference by India scheduled to be held in Islamabad few months back. The APA event has been attended by the high level parliamentary delegations of Asian countries including India and Nepal, whereas the Speaker of the Bhutan has led the delegation for this event. 

“It is not the success of an individual rather it speaks volume for the outreach of the Parliament. The Government of the country should benefit from the potential of the parliamentary diplomacy and reap its dividends,” he said.

Rabbani explained that it was the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, which in consultation with the stakeholders framed the new term of engagement with United States in the aftermath of Osama Bin Laden issue.

“The balloon of speculations and assumptions that parliament cannot do a serious business and collaborate with other institutions, have burst yet again on the successful parliamentary diplomacy during the APA event,” he said.