Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi, Secretary General of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, has said that personalities are stronger than institutions in the country, which explains why the dream of establishment of rule of law has not been fulfilled and why the principle of ‘might is right’ continues to hold sway.

Dr Raheeq Abbasi expressed these views while talking to a PAT delegation which called on him in Lahore under the leadership of PAT Punjab President Afzal Gujjar.

Dr Abbasi said that if institutions are stronger, it automatically translates into sanctity of Constitution and ensures upholding of rule of law. He said that the ruling elite had not been comfortable with the idea of strong and powerful institutions as doing so imperils their interests. He said that Parliament did not legislate on the issues of public relevance, which shows why the predicaments of the common man continue to multiply by the day.

Dr Abbasi said that load-shedding, skyrocketing dearness, and the deteriorating law and order situation were the outcome of electoral system. He added in the same context that had people been empowered in the real sense, they would not have been as desperate today.

He asked why those political parties which were talking of change were silent on the flaws of the electoral system, which was the mother of all problems. He said that without reforms in the electoral system, there would be minor change in the representation of political parties in the assemblies and the country would further drift apart from the destination of real change and stable democracy.