On Thursday, amid protests from the opposition benches marrying his historic seventh parliamentary speech, President Asif Ali Zardari urged for a departure from the divisiveness that afflicts internal politics.
On March 9, Zardari was elected to the presidency of Pakistan, making history as the country’s only two-term leader. It was his eighth speech to the National Assembly and Senate joint session on Thursday.
Along with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the chief ministers of every province, Zardari’s daughter Asefa, who was just sworn in as an MNA, and son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the PPP, were also there.
The moment the president started speaking, PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council MPs started chanting “Go Zardari go” and brandishing posters, and their shouts echoed throughout the House.
The president, however, appeared unfazed by the chaos and continued with his address, which was occasionally overpowered by the sloganeering. The president carried a framed portrait of his late wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
The nation needs us to transition from the current politics of polarization to modern politics. According to Zardari, this joint house must take the lead in restoring public trust in the legislative process.
Let me take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt thanks to all parliamentarians and provincial assembly members for their faith and confidence in me when they elected me to the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for a second term. The president began his speech by saying this. I feel modest.
Let me start this year by outlining my goals for the future, many of them are influenced by decisions I’ve made in the past,” he said.
He stated, “I chose to give away my powers to parliament. I expect you to use those powers with the wisdom and maturity this country needs.” in reference to the 18th Amendment, which was introduced during his last term in office.
Declaring that he saw his function as a cohesive emblem of a united and cohesive federation, President Zardari emphasized that it was time to start over. He said, “We’ll create pathways to inclusive growth if we see today as a new beginning […] that we can build on our strength by investing in our people by focusing on public needs.”
The president stated that the nation needs us to stop and consider what is most important to us in terms of our objectives, storylines, and ambitions.
He stated: “I think we can fight against the current political climate to reflect more light than heat, but it will require all of us to take a step back and determine what is most important.” By all of us, I mean.
Zardari stated that he was inspired by great leaders like Benazir Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Quaid-I-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He also stated that he firmly believed that by adopting these leaders’ vision, we could effectively address our challenges and promote an environment of political reconciliation and mutual respect.
Declaring that the nation’s problems could be solved, he declared that all that was needed was communication, legislative agreement, and a schedule for enacting strict measures that would deal with the root causes of the problems.
Let’s start with a vision that aims to leave no one behind, stated the twice-elected president. The political leadership gathered in this house has to give special attention to the concerns of marginalized people in undeveloped areas.
According to him, a national strategy needed an inclusive growth model that prioritized equitable opportunities and good working relationships between the federal government and the provinces.
President Zardari emphasized that Pakistan needs all hands-on deck to revive its economy and that drawing in foreign investment should be the nation’s main goal. He urged the government to streamline current rules and create an atmosphere that welcomes both international and indigenous investment.
The president continued, pointing out that there is a great deal of unrealized potential in a number of industries, including agriculture, marine life, textiles, and information technology, and that we must expedite efforts to increase the competitiveness of our products in international markets.
Speaking about climate change, President Zardari recalled the catastrophic mega floods that struck the nation in 2022.
President Zardari underlined that attracting foreign investment should be Pakistan’s primary objective and that the country needs all hands-on deck to resuscitate its economy. He called on the government to simplify the existing regulations and foster an environment that encourages investment from both domestic and foreign sources.
The president went on to say that we need to step up efforts to make our products more competitive in global markets since there is a lot of untapped potential in a variety of areas, including textiles, agriculture, marine life, and information technology.
The MPs, primarily from the coalition parties, are said to have requested the postponement of the session, which the president had originally called for April 16.
Six times previously in his five years as President, from September 2008 to September 2013, he had addressed the legislature. No previous president has spoken at as many joint sittings as the sixth speech on April 16, 2013, hence it was also a record.
Following the February 2008 elections, Zardari called a joint session as required by the constitution. Ex-presidents Mamnoon Hussain and Dr. Arif Alvi then continued the tradition of opening the sitting at the start of each legislative year.
Articles 54(1) and 56(3) of the Constitution, which state that the President shall address both Houses assembled together at the beginning of the first session following each general election to the National Assembly and at the beginning of the first session of each year, are the grounds for calling the joint session.
About The Author
