Presentation of report reflects 'political maturity': Prime Minister

Paying tributes to the apex court for its magnanimous decision of sending the 18th Constitutional Amendment back to the Parliament for re-consideration, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said that presentation of a unanimous report on 19th Constitutional Amendment in the house reflects 'political maturity'.
"No one has twisted the issue, making it a matter of ego, and today Parliament has reciprocated," the Prime Minister said as he felicitated political leadership of the country for achieving another milestone towards strengthening institutions. "We are striving to strengthen the institutions, instead of personalities. The unopposed report of the parliamentary committee reflects 'political maturity'," he added. Earlier, Senator Raza Rabbani, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms, had presented a report regarding 19th Constitutional Amendment to the house.
The committee was entrusted the task after the Supreme Court had referred Article 175A - the new mechanism for appointment of superior courts' judges inserted through the 18th Amendment - to parliament for reconsideration. However, it held that certain provisions of the amendment, that had been challenged, would come into effect forthwith. Some 26 petitioners had challenged several provisions of the amendment.
Recalling his presence as a member of the Parliament in the past on several counts,the Prime Minster stated: "I have never seen such independent parliament in the past". The report presented by Rabbani had made it clear that the parliament is neither 'redundant' nor 'rubber-stamp' as was being said by some people. He said that the previous parliament did nothing except chanting 'Go Musharraf, Go'. In last nine years, the President addressed the parliament only once, he added.
"I felicitate members of the parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms and every member of this house for a unanimous report on 19th Amendment again, after the historic passage of 18th Amendment". "Even though we have bicameral system in place, and 101 amendments were proposed through the 18th Constitutional amendment, it was not opposed by even a single member of the Senate or the National Assembly", he added.
Recalling the time when several provisions of the 18th Amendment were challenged in the apex court, Gilani said that some people had started panicking. "However, I have told them that all our institutions, whether parliament, judiciary or media, are going through an evolution, and moving towards maturity". The Prime Minister also congratulated the nation for successful test-fire of the nuclear-capable Ghauri ballistic missile, having a range of 1,300 km.