Islamabad – Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Senate, delivered a fiery speech at an All-Parties Conference (APC) organized by the Awami National Party (ANP) on Sunday and urged the nation to remain united and stand by the 1973 Constitution.

The speech of the Senator, which was presented in the face of sharp criticism by some of the participants, became a strong reminder of sacrifices made by the armed forces of Pakistan and the significance of a strong federal structure.

Defended the Constitution

The main message that Senator Siddiqui wanted to convey was the sacredness of the 1973 Constitution which according to him was a unanimous national document. He was quite clear in this position that nobody is allowed to undermine it and further highlighted the fact that an open political platform such as the APC itself could only exist within a democratic setting.

He lauded the armed forces and stated that they had lost more than 90,000 lives including soldiers, police and civilians in combating terrorism. He said their sacrifices were a reminder of how patriotic they were and should be respected, while directly answering those who were disparaging the military.

The Senator also took the opportunity to comment about the divisive rhetoric that he witnessed at the conference. He warned against an obsession with provincial identities to the detriment of national unity, and in a moving speech he said, “Pakistan is a bouquet of provinces, each of which is essential to the federation.”

He claimed that it was unconstructive to criticize a single province like Punjab and instead he encouraged a national outlook to make the federation strong. This call to unity was based on his conviction that democratic dialogue is the only possible way to solve grievances.

Senator Siddiqui appealed to political leaders to be civil so that tensions could be de-escalated, citing the example of the resilience of the historical democratic leaders of the past, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, and Nawaz Sharif. He pointed out that these leaders also were persecuted without having to attack state institutions. In establishing this parallel he was trying to provide a standard of political behavior and emphasize the need to observe the rule of law.

He emotionally reminded the audience that the personnel of the military are, “our children who are losing their lives in places such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.”

He also emphasized the inclusiveness of the legislative process in Pakistan because none of the laws that are to be implemented in any of the provinces can be implemented without the consent of the representatives of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other regions thereby strengthening the democratic checks and balances in the system.

Senator Siddiqui in a positive development supported a suggestion by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-Ur-Rehman of a national dialogue to resolve political tensions. He promised the audience that he would be personally presenting this proposal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which is a good indication that the government is ready to allow a political resolution.