Govt presses for amendment, won’t ‘touch’ provincial autonomy

ISLAMABAD: Allaying the fears that the planned the planned 27th Amendment will rollback the provincial autonomy introduced the PPP’s 2008-13 tenure, a confident Shehbaz Sharif government on Wednesday took the allies and other parties into confidence on the issue as it is now every much likely that the bill would now surely be tabled next week.

And this confidence is very much visible despite the fact that the PTI parliamentary party meeting announced rejecting the 27th Amendment at all levels.

However, the coalition government led by the PML-N isn’t worried because the PTI doesn’t have the required numbers to pose any challenge.

After a meeting with the parliamentary leaders of different parties, it was decided at the business advisory committee meeting with Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in the chair that the National Assembly would remain in session till Nov 14.

MQM-P AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM

The two-thirds majority which the Shehbaz-led ruling alliance achieved first in the National Assembly and later in the Senate as a result of the Supreme Court verdict in the reserved seats case means that the government believes that the 27th Amendment will sail through both the Houses of Parliament.

And the MQM — one of the important allies with a sizeable representation in the Parliament — on Wednesday came out openly in the support of 27th Amendment as it sees the dream of powerful local governments coming true.

Read more: No one should be shocked, surprised by amendment: MQM-P

Later, an MQM-P delegation met the prime ministers while Senator Faisal Vawda, in a separate but related development, visited the residence of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as part of a flurry of meetings held in Islamabad.

VIOLENT POLITICS, TLP, PTI AND GOVERNOR’S RULE

Vawda too is among those promising that the 18th Amendment isn’t being rolled back. He, however, opined that the federal government had powers to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — an obvious reference to the tense relations between the Centre and the PTI-led provincial government.

Read more: Fawad fears governor’s rule as Ikhtiar Wali recalls May 9 events

He said no political party should be allowed to indulge in violent politics or protests and mentioned that the TLP was banned for the same reason.

Meanwhile, a PTI delegation also met Maulana at his residence after announcing their opposition to the 27th Amendment.

PROVINCES SHOULDN’T WORRY

Earlier, Shehbaz had tasked Ayaz with developing consensus among all the political parties and cancelled foreign visits of all the ministers and parliamentarians, directing them to stay in the federal capital.

Read more: 27th Amendment: Speaker tasked with developing consensus

During the National Assembly session, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar described the proposed 27th Amendment against the Constitution and an attempt to reverse the provincial autonomy attained through the 18th Amendment.

However, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry assured the House that the constitutional amendment won’t change the basic tenets defined under the 18th Amendment.

Similar views were expressed by PML-N leader Ikhtiar Wali who told Asma Shirazi — the host of HUM News programme “Faisla Aap Ka” — that no one wanted to curtail the powers and resources of provinces.

About the possible changes in Article 243, Wali said the modern warfare had changed older concepts and realities, which required a review of the current division of powers.

On the other hand, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed the hope that the 27th Amendment would get a final by next week.

NAWAZ SHARIF IS OUR LEADER

The planned constitutional amendment has brought the 18th Amendment into the focus like never before although critics have always cited the National Financial Commission Award (NFC) as the reason why transferring a huge chunk of resources to the provinces have left the Centre with very little room to deal with its responsibilities like debt payment and defence expenditure.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar was the guest in “Hum Dekhen Gey” — a HUM News current affairs show hosted by Mansoor Ali Khan.

Replying to various questions, Tarar cited the need for a uniform syllabus and establishment of Constitutional Court as the prime reason why the 27th Amendment is required.

He, however, added that the government could not give timeframe on when the constitutional amendment would be passed.

At the same time, he made it clear that the proposed amendment had nothing to do with the politics of Azad Kashmir where the PPP was seemingly at the verge of forming government, but the plan has seemingly stalled.

The PML-N will sit on the opposition benches in Azad Kashmir, he repeated the known party stance.

Mansoor also asked about the role three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is playing in politics given his silence and his views about the 27th Amendment.

While mentioning that “Nawaz Sharif is our leader”, Tarar said the brother of elder Sharif was Pakistan’s prime minister and daughter — Maryam Nawaz — the Punjab chief minister.