Democracy continues to face threats in Pakistan: Farhatullah Babar.

When powers of the president to send a government packing were abolished by the parliament, anti-democracy forces found other parts of the Constitution to use against elected governments.

This was suggested by former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar while addressing a seminar on 'Challenges to Democracy in Pakistan'. The seminar had been organised by the Shaheed Bhutto Foundation in SZABIST in Islamabad on Friday.

He continued that there was a perception that civilians were a security risk which was undermining democracy in the country.

He conceded that major political forces of the time had signed a 'Charter of Democracy' and took measures during the past two democratically elected regimes to tackle overt threats to democracy.

However, he said that ever since democracy in the country was facing a series of hidden threats.

He elaborated that after the parliament did away with powers of the president to send a government packing under Article 58-2B of the Constitution, anti-democratic forces resorted to using Article 62 and Article 63 of the Constitution to disqualify elected prime ministers.

The disqualifications of Yousaf Raza Gillani and Nawaz Sharif, Babar pointed out, are examples of...