July 5 to be remembered in history as black day: Zardari
05 July, 2012
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that July 5 would be remembered in Pakistan's history as a black day. On this day, a dictator driven by his self-serving and delusory motives attempted to seal the fate of a progressive and a moderate society by deposing a constitutionally and directly elected prime minister and systematically dismantling legal and constitutional edifice of the country, he said in his message on the occasion of July 5. The president said that it was on this day when a bigoted vision tried redefining the future course of the country by shaking the foundations of democracy and interrupting the political process. "Today, there is some consolation in the thought that the constitution has been restored to its original form by the elected representatives of the people." Zardari said that the constitution that was once disfigured by the dictator was restored by the government of the same party whose founder was executed through a judicial murder. "The struggle of the party and the people of the country to reach at this point was no doubt a long one and many had to shed their blood for democracy," he said. However, the dream of a genuine democratic order in which the principle of trichotomy of powers is respected and in which no institution of the state trespasses the domain of other institutions is yet to be fully realised, the president said. He said the democratic forces must pledge today to resist the new forms of dictatorships that appear to be raising their ugly heads in different forms and manifestations. President Zardari said that the era of packing parliament by the dictators was over for all times and no back doors and side doors will be allowed to be reopened for sending the real representatives home. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf also termed July 5 black day, and said that it will always be remembered in the history of the country. "It was on this day that a dictator overthrew a democratically elected government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and plunged the country into darkness of martial law for 11 long years," he said in his message marking the day. He said today all the political forces should pledge to work for strengthening democracy and promote a culture of dialogue, instead of sabotaging the democratic order. He further said that the democratic forces should demonstrate political sagacity, wisdom of thought and maturity of action for further strengthening the country, which was attained by rendering supreme sacrifices. The prime minister said had the people's will been respected and their government allowed to serve them, Pakistan would have become politically and economically a great power both in the region as well as beyond. He said the multiple challenges facing the country today owe themselves to a lack of continuity of the democratic system. The prime minister said democracy and representative rule was the only way forward to secure country's interests, adding that no nation can aspire to have any role at the regional and global level unless its institutions are strong, which is, otherwise, a function of strong democracy. Prime Minister Raja said the day also reminds us of the heroic struggle waged by the workers of the Pakistan People's Party against the dictatorial regime and for restoration of people's inalienable right to determine their future through their elected representatives. "On July 5, let us pledge to work even harder for strengthening democracy in the country," he added. End.
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