Supremacy of parliament to define state institutions role: PM

MADRID: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani visited the Spanish Parliament here on Wednesday and met President of Congress Jose Bono. During the meeting they discussed ways and means to enhance interaction amongst the parliaments of the two countries. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Syed Sumsam Ali Bukhari, ANP leader Asfand Yar Wali also accompanied the Prime Minister. The President of the Congress – equivalent to Pakistan’s Speaker of the National Assembly appreciated the return of democracy in the country and hoped that the Parliament would continue to play its role in bringing political, economic stability and development for all sections of society. The Prime Minister and the Speaker were of the view that greater interaction amongst the parliamentarians of the two countries would not only bring the two countries closer but also help them learn from each others’ experiences. Prime Minister Gilani said he believed in supremacy of the parliament and said it would go a long way in defining a definite role of all the state institutions where they can work in their own spheres and strengthen the country. He said he believed in a policy of consensus and political reconciliation as it was in the best interest of the country and a way to confront the challenges of extremism and terrorism the country was facing. Jose Bono noted the recent unanimous passage of the Constitutional Amendment Package by both houses of the parliament in Pakistan and said it reflected that the parliamentary system in the country was gaining strength. The Spanish Congress of Deputies is the lower house of the Cortes Generales – Spain’s Parliament. It has 350 members, elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation. Deputies serve four-year terms.

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Supremacy of parliament to define state institutions role: PM