ISLAMABAD: Secretary General United Nations António Guterres said that as the world confronts COVID-19, democracy is crucial in ensuring the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for the response to the pandemic.
He said this in his message on the eve of International Day of Democracy which was observed Tuesday all over the world.
In their messages Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri have said peace, protection of fundamental rights and national development are linked to democracy.
They held stability of the democratic institutions is must for the progress of the country. Democracy guarantees freedom of expression besides ensuring basic human rights. . .
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Speaker Asad Qaiser said people can participate in the economic and political system of the country through democratic system. Decisions are taken with mutual consultations in democratic system setting aside the party affiliations.
The political parties need to think beyond their political affiliations in the supreme national interest, he remarked. The elected representatives will have to pursue a collective thinking to address the problems facing common man, he urged.;
It is beauty of democracy that the solution to the problems facing the country should be found through mutual consultations and dialogue, he added. Our religion also stresses on mutual consultations.
He observed India which claims to be the largest democracy in the world has suppressed rights of its own people. It is denying their right to self-determination to Kashmiris since the last 72 years as have been pledged under UN resolutions.
The fascist Modi government has imposed governor rule in Occupied Kashmir since last one year and laid military siege therein through governor rule.
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Deputy Speaker National Assembly, in his message said that democracy is the way by which common man participate in the affairs of the state.
He urged upon the regional and international community to support the Kashmiri people for their basic rights of Freedom.
He said continuity in democracy is strengthening the country and all the political parties are playing their role to counter the challenges facing the country;
