ISLAMABAD: PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in a message on the occasion of International Day of Democracy celebrated on Tuesday, said democracy required institutions to respect limits imposed on them by the constitution.

The massage seems to be a reaction to recent arrest of some PPP leaders and raids on government offices in a Rangers-led anti-corruption operation as the party has already expressed concern over the action and termed it ‘political victimisation’.

“Fighting militancy and corruption are laudable aims that must be vigorously pursued but let altruism not be used as an excuse to overstep constitutional limits and authority,” Mr Zardari said.

He said the perception of “powerful institutions” overstepping their constitutional limits and treading into the domain of others is not a good omen for stability of democratic structures and needs to be addressed urgently and meaningfully. “Such perceptions must not be allowed to gain strength.”

The PPP’s reservations over the operation have also echoed in parliament where its leaders have criticised recent arrest of the party leader and former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain on the charge of terror financing.

Mr Zardari said democracy was much more than merely holding elections periodically to distribute political power among parties and individuals according to their electoral strength. “Rule of law, restraining oneself within constitutional limits, transparent and across-the-board accountability and tolerance to dissent are also critical elements of democracy.”

The enemies of democracy, he said, kept changing their guise and tactics. “From direct assault on democracy in the past, we have witnessed the democratic edifice assaulted by such devices as the doctrine of necessity, so-called legal frame work order and provisional constitutional order,” he added.

The former president also warned against threats to democracy from militant mindset seeking to impose their extremist agenda through use of force.

Congratulating democratic forces in the world, particularly in Pakistan, on International Day of Democracy, he expressed the hope that the celebrations would enhance awareness of people of the country to new forms of threats to democracy and the need to guard against them.

Mr Zardari paid tribute to former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto and political leaders and workers belonging to different parties who had rendered sacrifices for the cause of democracy.

“If dictatorship has not been able to take roots in Pakistan it is because of immense sacrifices of democracy-loving people,” he said.

PPP meeting convened in Dubai

Meanwhile, the PPP co-chairman has called senior members and office-bearers of the party to Dubai for a meeting on Saturday.

Sources in the party told Dawn that the meeting would discuss the political situation prevailing in Pakistan, particularly the ongoing alleged victimisation of the PPP in Sindh in the name of a campaign against corruption.

A senior PPP leader invited to the meeting said they would also discuss matters related to re-organisation of the party and devise a strategy for coming local government elections in Punjab and Sindh.

Those who have been invited include Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah, Opposition Leader in Senate Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, PPP Vice-President Sherry Rehman, Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira, Faisal Karim Kundi, Syed Naveed Qamar, Nadeem Afzal Chan and Akhunzada Chatan.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will also attend the meeting.

The sources said that Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani had also been asked to attend the meeting. But he has decided not to do so since he has resigned from the party office and distanced himself from the party activities after becoming Senate chairman in March.

When contacted, Mr Kaira denied media reports that a meeting of the central executive committee of the party would be held in Dubai. Only some senior members of the party had been invited to Dubai, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015

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