26 June 2004	Saturday	07 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, June 25: Speakers at a symposium, on Friday, stressed that the provision of basic human rights and the solution to all problems could only be possible through creating awareness about political system among the masses.

The symposium on "Role of parliamentarians in the promotion and protection of human rights" was organized by the Centre for Democratic Development, Islamabad, at a local hotel. Tahir Muhammad Khan presided over the symposium.

Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami said that the parliament was an important institution in any country and it should be strengthened. "The parliament makes the constitution and ensures provision of basic rights to the people," he observed.

He said that the present parliament could not play its actual role, as there were a lot of misunderstandings between the ruling and opposition parliamentarians. Maintaining that there should be sound understanding between ruling and opposition parties to solve the basic problems of people, he regretted that it could not happen during the last 18 months.

He said, "The constitution guarantees all human rights and added that proper implementation of the laws is the need of time."

MNA Kanwar Khalid Younus of Muttahida Qaumi Movement said that the parliaments were the sovereign and supreme bodies of a country known for the democracies. "If we look around the democracies influencing the countries we would come to know that the former is like a slow paced elephant which lumbers towards a certain destination," he said.

It takes centuries to develop in a true and strong democratic mould, but once it is made all institutions become subservient to it irrespective of its manifested or a known nuisance, he said.

"Strongly-based parliaments breed iron-willed parliamentarians, who always matter in the country's political and legislative destiny," he remarked.

Kanwar Khalid Younus said that if the elected politicians were politically, physically or mentally abused by certain institutions of country, it would leave a dark impact in their thinking and behaviour. "The bottom line is that you put the garbage in you and you got the garbage out," he added.

In this regard, he referred to the time when he was arrested and tortured while he was an elected member of national assembly.

MNA Asadullah Bhutto of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal said that human right violations were being practised throughout the world and referred to Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Philippine.

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians leader Taj Haider observed that the situation was not that dark as it was being projected and said that the awareness about political system and basic human rights was increasing with time. He suggested that all the political leadership should sit together to think about the solution of the problems regarding human rights and political system in Pakistan.

MNA Fouzia Wahab said if politicians were abused by the citizens for whom they were struggling, they could not be strong to protect their rights. She stressed that people should play their active political role for the betterment of the system and for the country.

PPP MPA Sassi Paleejo regretted that even the opposition members were not given chance to raise their voice at the assembly floor. In this scenario, how a common man could get basic rights, she remarked.

Prof Amar Sindhoo and Prof Muhammad Ali Siddiqui also spoke on the occasion. -PPI