Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the protection of the Constitution of 1973 was not the responsibility of any citizen or a person in uniform, but it lay on the shoulders of the Legislature, Judiciary, and executive. “We have to restore the constitution of 1973 in its original form as was written.”
This he said while speaking at a seminar organized to celebrate the 1973 Constitution at the Auditorium of Sindh Assembly.Mr. Shah said that the Constitution of 1973 was passed unanimously by the National Assembly. “It is our responsibility as citizens to abide by the constitution. He added that there were three most important and glaring words in the constitution – “preserve, protect, and defend” for which we, the Executive, the legislature, and the judiciary took oath while taking over our respective positions.
The CM said that the members of the legislative assemblies/houses, chief ministers, ministers, and the judiciary took an oath to protect the constitution, preserve it, and defend it. “This is the constitution that strengthens the three pillars – the legislation, the judiciary, and the executive,” he said, adding, “how these institutions have been weakening I would discuss in my speech,” he said.
Mr. Shah said that when the 1973 construction had fixed three qualifications for becoming a member of the assembly, they included that he/she should be national of the country with a minimum age of 25 years age (30 years for a member of the Senate), and should have a solid state of mind. He added that the constitution had also fixed some parameters for disqualification for being a member of the assembly such as dual nationality, unsolid state of mind, defaulter, and in government service.
Mr. Shah said that when Gen Zia came into power, he increased the parameters of qualifications for a member of the assembly from three to seven just to weaken the legislature. “Now, it is not my voter but someone else who decides if I am honest, abide by Islamic ideology, and so on,” he lamented.The CM said that in place of four parameters of disquisition 16 have been inserted in the constitution and then the judiciary understood how the legislative and executive could be weakened further.
Originally under the 1973 Constitution once the Returning Officer declared the nomination papers of any candidate valid they could not be challenged or there was no provision of appeal but General Zia introduce Appellate Tribunals, this is how the legislature was weakened, and “today we’re are weak because the sword of disqualification keeps hanging over the head of the legislature for his entire tenure of five years,” he deplored.
Executive: The Chief Minister talking about the Executive said it has been weakened. He added that under Article 248 the Executive, the PM, federal ministers, CM, and provincial ministers had immunity before any court of law but now we all, me and almost all my cabinet members were appearing in the court in different cases.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that someone, as celebrated as Zia Mohyeddin, needs no introduction but he was a man with feathers galore in his hat: an actor, orator, director, author, and broadcaster who ruled over his own career for more than six decades.This he said while speaking at `Tribute Evening Farewell to the Legend Zia Mohyeddin’ program organized by NAPA at NAPA Auditorium on Sunday evening.
Mr. Mohyeddin, despite proficiently enjoying various disciplines, let theatre be his lifelong passion. He studied theatre at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), the CM said and added that the thespian marked his debut in Lawrence of Arabia in 1961, which along with ‘Behold the Pale Horse’ (1964) and ‘Bombay Talkie (1970) became Zia Mohyeddin’s most memorable performances amongst many others.Mr. Shah said that Mr. Zia, the talented and hardworking orator returned to Pakistan in the 1960s, hosting
‘The Zia Mohyeddin Show on PTV’, in which he introduced a new style of hosting. He added that Mr. Zia also set up the PIA Arts and Dance Academy the following decade which toured the world and performed at the Madison Square Garden and for Queen Elizabeth II.
“While I speak about Mr. Mohyeddin, I -just like everyone present here- am in absolute awe of his achievements,” the CM said and added to sum up the accolades he achieved or the life he led in a speech did not even come close to giving justice to his life’s work.
Murad Shah said that apart from being president of NAPA, he authored two books: memoir A Carrot is a Carrot (2008), and The God of My Idolatry, a collection of essays published in 2016. “At NAPA, he trained and taught a generation of Pakistani cinema, theatre, and art and I am sure the proteges of Mr. Mohyeddin will continue to make Pakistan proud,” he hoped.
What I loved about him was the way with which he spoke; mesmerizing, the CM said and added Mr. Zia had the power to captivate his audience with his voice and words. “Sitting on those seats, I have experienced that magic as well and I was quite fortunate to have heard him several times,” he said and added a teacher to many, and an inspiration to the nation, Mr. Mohyeddin would always live in our hearts and Pakistan would not forget the maestro or his work.
