One of the contributors to Business Recorder's op-ed section, Mohammad Waqar Rana, has recently pointed out that the "Prime Minister is the Chief Executive is his real strength rests in Parliament. It is almost proverbial that he owes his office to Parliament. A representative government is so far the best form of the government. It however, requires that the representatives of the people are both accessible and accountable for their acts and deeds at all times. There can be no better place than Parliament."
I agree with him whole-heartedly. But where is the parliament? This question has no easy answer though. For example, the parliament is expected to give its response to the besiegement of a newspaper office by unidentified people in Islamabad a couple of days ago.
A 'protest' over a report that the newspaper had carried regarding the ethnicity of the London Bridge attacker who stabbed two persons to death last week is a matter of serious concern. In their reaction to the incident, the newspaper editors have contended that under the incumbent regime, the attacks on media have increased manifold which point towards its hostility towards media. But the silence of the government officials on the incident is quite meaningful. The parliament must take up this issue without any further loss of time. It must censure the newspaper if it has violated country's law or hurt the national interest through the publication of the report in question. But who would explain and determine what constitutes 'national interest'? This question, too, has no easy answer. In my view, however, the parliament is the most appropriate forum to address this and similar questions for the sake of greater good.
Comments
Comments are closed.