As a social contract between the citizens and the state, the Constitution plays fundamental role of state-building in any country. As part of the endeavors to commemorate the signing of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services organized Seminar on Constitution, Parliament and State-building on April 29, 2019 at its main Campus in Islamabad. The event was attended by 70 participants including faculty and students from Department of Political Science and International Relations, Government College University Faisalabad, and Young Parliamentary Officers as part of their orientation program at PIPS. The event began with the National Anthem followed by recitation of verses from Holy Quran. Ms. Fakiha Mahmood, Research Officer PIPS, welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of the month of April in relation to the signing of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973. Mr. Zafarullah Khan, Executive Director PIPS, delved upon the working of Parliament and the role this key institution plays in the life of a nation. During his talk he mentioned various metaphors in order to highlight the significance of Parliament. He further elaborated the role of Constitution in state-building. Mr. Khan commended the efforts of the Government College University Faisalabad, which has started a four years undergraduate program in Political Science and Parliamentary Studies. Mr. Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka, Director General (Research & Legislation) spoke at length about the role of constitution and parliament in the process of state-building during an interactive session. He underscored the fundamental principles of the Constitution of Pakistan which include Islamic, federal, welfare state, and parliamentary democracy. He emphasized the importance of tolerance and dialogue for peace and harmony. A highly interactive Q&A session followed the individual presentations. The students asked highly pertinent questions during the session, which were duly responded by the panelists. Dr. Ghulam Mustafa, In-charge Deparment of Political Sceince and International Relations, thanked PIPS for organizing the event thereby providing the delegates with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and experience about the parliament of Pakistan. The seminar ended with vote of thanks and group photo.
