Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has warned government that PPP will stoutly and resolutely resist any move to roll back the 18th Amendment or the NFC Award. He was addressing late Asma Jehangir conference at a local hotel here on Sunday. "Constitution has conferred upon the provinces due rights over their resources for which they were agitating for the past 6 decades," he added.
"It has restored the balance in the distribution of fiscal resources between the federal government and the provinces by a more equitable NFC Award. Instead of making population as the sole criteria, backwardness of a province and other factors have also been given weight age, he pointed out.
Paying glowing tributes to late Asma Jehangir he said "She was a friend to my mother, a mentor to me and an inspiration for all the believers of democracy in Pakistan.
Asma Jahangir is synonymous with democracy, rule of law and human rights. Her voice could be heard when many others fell silent," he added.
She continued to feel the pain that others grew accustomed to and till the end, never stopped pushing back
He said that from bonded labourers, to women in abusive marriages; from victims of religious persecution to the sanctity of the will of the people- no fight was too big, no case too small for Asma Jahangir.
He said that the media is under assault and is facing the unprecedented censorship. Human rights are endangered today and rule of law and due process have been discarded in favour of rhetorical populism. Theatrics have triumphed over substance.
He said that "though Asma is no longer amongst us. Her ideas and her voice cannot be allowed to die. They must resonate through you, through me, through us all" he enunciated.
He further said that "Asma Jahangir was a warrior for a democratic, progressive, inclusive, modern and pluralistic Pakistan. If she were present here, she would never have left this despotism go unchallenged; and neither shall we".
He said that "democracy faces serious threats. Not only from unelected forces but also from "so-called" democrats. It has often fallen to the ground under assaults launched by anti-democratic forces waving the banner of 'basic democracy' or 'true democracy'.
These assaults have in the past been made by military dictators. But it should never be forgotten that the forces of authoritarianism need not always be in uniform. Democracy more than anything else is a cast of mind, a respect for the opinions and decisions of plurality of ordinary citizens," he added.
The supremacy of the parliament and the sanctity of the constitution are under relentless attack. "We still await clarity on the blatant manipulation of the 2018 elections and for the uneven playing field which resulted in the imposition of an incompetent government.
A government which is attempting to address grave challenges to the economy by "chandanomics", ignoring entirely that their lack of policies and consistent U-turns have not only failed to inspire confidence, but have in fact put this nation on a speedy track to further economic instability.
He said that Pakistan people's party strengthened the Federation of Pakistan and it is the PPP which will defend and strive for a more vibrant and stronger federation. He said that people party believes in the ideals of a federal, democratic Pakistan must come together and resist any nefarious designs to undermine this.
While criticizing the Imran Khan, he said that present government has neither the will nor the capacity to deliver on the false promises made during its campaign.
The rule of law is the soul of a democratic system. The judiciary has the responsibility to inspire confidence that justice will be done, that everyone will be treated fairly and that fundamental rights will be upheld.
Sadly, in the past, our judiciary has failed to inspire this confidence. Millions of people wait for their cases to be heard while the justice system appears focused on trivialities, rather than dispensing justice. "I am a victim and a witness to the inequalities of our justice system".
As a child, I remember accompanying my mother to visit my father in jail; my father was imprisoned for eleven and half years' despite being innocent. My grandfather's judicial murder remains a blot on the history of our judiciary. I still wait for justice for my martyred mother. He advised that the leaders of the bar must now pick up Asma's mantle and resist again today, the erosion of rule of law, the undermining of democracy, and the shrinking of Human Rights, as she did in the past. He said "we are only democratic in name, the mindset; the tactics bear all the hallmarks of autocracy".
The legal community has a special responsibility to resist any attempts to undermine the spirit of the constitution. He said that the objective of the present government is to establish a fascist one-party dictatorship; where criticism is treated as a crime and where democratic opposition is threatened with intimidation. However, dear friends, no amount of victimization and coercion will weaken our resolve and our commitment to democracy.
When democracy and constitutionalism were under threat, Asma's voice was always the loudest. And now there is a deafening silence.
He said that Asma Jahangir was guided by the belief in fundamental rights of life, liberty, due process and equal opportunities. As the son and political heir of Benazir Bhutto I too, hold these principles as my shining light and hope to live up to them.
He said that the best tribute to Asma Jahangir is to follow in her footsteps and fight for constitutional supremacy, equality and democracy.
Former speaker national assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, federal minister for human rights Dr Shireen Mazari and former senator Afrasiab Khahttak also spoke on the occasion.