BRITAIN’S Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year, which is the 70-year anniversary of her reign as queen of the United Kingdom and its 14 Commonwealth nations.
Already the country’s longest-reigning monarch — a landmark she reached in 2015 — Elizabeth is the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
Events have been organized around the U.K.and Commonwealth countries to mark the occasion as this is a special moment in history, and people from around the world have shown their admiration for all that Her Majesty has accomplished during her reign.
The United Kingdom is considered a model of democracy and rightly so as it has strictly adhered to the unwritten constitution and love of its people for democratic norms, traditions and values.
The Queen is a constitutional monarch, meaning that, whilst the Sovereign is Head of State, it is an elected Parliament that can make and pass legislation, rather than the monarch.
Her position is ceremonial but even then the Queen still has a very important part to play in the life of the nation, undertaking constitutional and representational duties and she carries out a busy programme of engagements, including visiting charities (for a number of which she acts as Royal Patron or President), hosting visiting Heads of State, or taking part in annual programmes of investitures, garden parties, receptions and other ceremonies.
Known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, she has been a figurehead for the UK and the Commonwealth during times of enormous change.
Credit also goes to the monarch for discharging her responsibilities and duties while remaining strictly within the framework of the Constitution and parliamentary history and as a result the United Kingdom has enjoyed relative political stability.
This is in sharp contrast to what we observe in third world countries where the office of the head of the state is routinely misused creating waves of instability and uncertainty in the country.
Pakistan is proud to be part of the global celebrations marking platinum jubilee of the Queen and the main ceremony organized by the British High Commissioner was also attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who reiterated the deep commitment of his Government to further strengthen cooperation with the United Kingdom in all spheres of life.
People of Pakistan value sincere cooperation always extended by the UK to help the country overcome its challenges and accelerate the pace of socio-economic development.
