19 August will always be remembered as Black Day in Parliamentary History of Pakistan: Sardar Ayaz Sadiq

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (SABAH): Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said that August 19 would always be remembered as the darkest day in the parliamentary history of the country as ten years ago on the same day conspiracy against democracy was hatched and Parliament House building was sieged and ransacked by the workers of the so-called political parties.

He said that the shameful act is highly condemnable in every sense of word. The Speaker said that Parliament, being the supreme institution, deserves respect and dignity. He also underscored that protecting the sanctity of the Parliament is a collective responsibility.  He expressed these views in his message on the eve of completion of 10 years of the attack on the Parliament of Pakistan.

Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that violating the sanctity of Parliament is  unimaginable for any democratic individual. He lamented that the heartbreaking memories of the day would remain etched in the minds of the people and keep reminding them of the attack on democratic values and principles. He also noted that the attack on the parliament was not only an attack on democracy but also a blow to the basic pillars of the State.

The Speaker praised the bravery and perseverance of all the parliamentarians, staff and security personnel of the Parliament, for defending the Parliament under such hostile circumstances. The Speaker also appreciated the role of the leadership and MPs of the then government, the largest opposition party in the Parliament i.e. Pakistan Peoples Party and other political parties as they played an active role in thwarting the attack on the Parliament and the heinous conspiracy against democracy.

He said that during the heinous attack on Parliament in August 2014 the passage of the MPs was blocked off & attempts were made to paralyze the democratic process. He also noted that an aborted attempt was made, but the Members of Parliament bravely foiled this nefarious conspiracy. He also said that the 2014 protests and sit-ins  compromised the image of Pakistan around the world.

He said that because of sit-ins outside the Parliament, the President of China had to cancel his visit, and as a result Pakistan lost foreign investments worth billions of dollars. He remarked that such attacks have further strengthened our determination and resolve to protect  democratic institutions. The Speaker urged  the people to unite and keep on playing their constructive role to protect democracy in the country.

Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah in his message said that the attack on Parliament during 2014 was a tragic  incident. He said that these attacks indicated the ill intentions of those involved in sit-ins, which were tantamount to weakening the democratic institutions and democratic system. The Deputy Speaker stressed the need for all political parties to take essential steps to prevent such incidents in the future.