Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani has said that any attempt to play with the 18th constitutional amendment by any political party or government is tantamount to playing with the solidarity of the country and shaking the very foundations of the state.
“After the Constitution of 1973, this 18th amendment is the only amendment that has forged consensus among the provinces and has also increased their trust,” said the LG minister while addressing a news conference at the media cell of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday.
He said that the scheming mind of the present government against the 18th amendment had become quite obvious when Prime Minister Imran Khan had said a day earlier that the 18th amendment had pushed the country to the verge of bankruptcy.
“If someone has pushed the country to the verge of bankruptcy, then it’s the unqualified and inexperienced prime minister himself and his equally inefficient cabinet,” said Ghani.
The minister said that the PPP ruling in the province even before the last general elections had warned that a conspiracy had been set into motion against the 18th amendment.
He said that the PM should explain whom he has given the “lollipop” to by announcing the Rs162 billion special Karachi development package.
He reminded the premier that he had claimed earlier that the national exchequer was empty and that Rs120 billion was still payable by the federal government as Sindh’s share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award of the past seven months.
Ghani said that before announcing any special development package for the metropolis, the Centre should first fulfil its obligation of paying the due fiscal share of the province under the NFC Award.
He said that the PM should first read the relevant law under which the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) had come into existence before embarking upon any plan to change the title of this programme.
He also said that if an ordinance is promulgated to change the title of the BISP, then such an attempt can easily be undone by merely passing a resolution in the National Assembly or the Senate of Pakistan.
He claimed that lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the NA would themselves not allow any conspiracy against the BISP to succeed.
Replying to a question, he said that the Sindh governor is constitutionally bound to act in accordance with the advice of the province’s chief minister, as the governor cannot act on his own.
‘Amendment required’
Sindh CM’s Law Adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab censured the federal government over its possible plan to remove the name of Benazir Bhutto from the title of the BISP.
Addressing the PM in a statement, he said that someone should have informed the premier that an amendment in the law is needed before making any such move.
“You are the prime minister, not a monarch; and for God’s sake, go through the relevant laws before making any such proclamation,” said Wahab.
The adviser said that Benazir’s loyalists will never tolerate this or any such “ridiculous” move. He said that although the members of the PTI always trumpeted about rules, regulations, laws and the constitution, they were the first to violate them.
He asked the PM to confine his “despotism” to Bani Gala. He said that the premier must be aware of the fact that Benazir had laid down her life in the service of this country. He also said that the BISP and other projects initiated for the welfare of the people in this country were associated with Benazir’s name in recognition of her sacrifices and services to the people she loved the most.
Wahab said that the federal government should refrain from taking any such step and immediately withdraw it. He claimed that the PM and his team are doing whatever they can to dismantle the country.