ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday said upholding the Constitution was the responsibility of all segments of society as the document not only guaranteed political stability but also ensured citizens’ fundamental rights.

“The supremacy of the Constitution is vital as its pillars set out the goals for basic rights in various areas, including education, health, employment, and social and economic justice,” the president said in his address at a ceremony held at the Presidency to recognise public contribution towards social welfare.

“The Constitution vested its power in citizens which led to realising a welfare state with a political system based on social justice. A constitution does not belong to a politician or an institution, but to every individual of the country,” he added.

In addition to the administrative authority, the president said, it is the duty of the state and its organs to bring about improvement to the society through a system based on welfare.

The event, organised by the Network for Human and Social Development (NHSD), acknowledged the services of departments and individuals in the field of humanitarian service and philanthropy.

President Alvi emphasised the importance of social welfare and philanthropy to address the problems amid the growing population, particularly in the shape of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.

As per Unicef data, he said, the 27 million out-of-school children of Pakistan were a serious challenge that required urgent steps for their inclusion in the educational and skill-set system. Also, the country’s 10 per cent population of persons with disabilities needed mainstreaming, he added.

Mr Alvi highlighted the importance of adopting a preventive approach to health rather than a curative one to cope with the costly treatment of several diseases, including hepatitis, AIDS and communicable ailments.

He said national progress was linked with the implementation of the system of social caring and improving the lives of the people.

Addressing the ceremony, NHSD president Amir Ikram Ameen said his organisation was serving the cou­ntry’s vulnerable communities thro­ugh disaster management and mitigating disaster risk through poverty alleviation and provision of educational and health facilities to women and children in remote villages.

Vice chairman of Akhuwat Foundation’s standing committee Badar Haroon said the welfare organisation had in 20 years empowered the people through microfinance loans worth Rs200 billion with a 99.9pc return rate.

He said 2,000 transgender persons above 50 years of age were registered with Akhuwat Foundation, which was catering to their medical facilities in a respectable way.