Karachi: The second day of the Karachi Literature Festival, a discussion panel was held on the Constitution and the Rule of Law, with an outstanding political senator and constitutional expert Raza Rabbani.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Rabbani highlighted the importance of reviewing the structure of the Constitution and addressing key questions about the stateness of Pakistan and its evolution from independence.
He pointed out that the 26th constitutional amendment is the last change in the Constitution. “We need to focus on the fundamental question: what is the structure of the Constitution? What is the role of the state of Pakistan and what has achieved since its inception? He questioned.
He stressed that the founding father of Pakistan Quaid-E-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnaah imagined a liberal democratic state.
“However, over time, Pakistan became a state -centered state. Military leadership, in collaboration with several groups, worked to maintain its control over power,” he said.
Referring to the 1973 Constitution as a significant achievement with a broad consensus, he said that despite multiple military acquisitions, the Constitution itself was never altered.
“The central theme remains that the main purpose of the creation of Pakistan was civil supremacy,” he said.
The senator expressed a deep concern for the decline of civil authority.
“In my life, I have never seen such a low point for civil supremacy as we are witnessing today. Military interference has increased to such an extent that civil supremacy cannot be restored without addressing it, ”he said.
He criticized the role of the Judiciary in the legitimation of military interventions. “The Judiciary has been used by the military-bureaucratic complex in an unprecedented manner, with courts that validate military acquisitions through their decisions,” he said.
The panel concluded with a call to strengthen democratic institutions and restore the balance of power to guarantee civil supremacy and adherence to the rule of law in Pakistan.
