- Khan’s failure to get a correct measure of opposition
PM Imran Khan wants changes in the 18th amendment and NFC award. Constitutional amendments are not made in haste. It took a whole year for the multiparty parliamentary committee to hammer out the 18th amendment. One would readily agree that constitutional provisions are not written in stone and have to be revised to keep the basic law in consonance with the demands of the times. That a certain provision does not suit a government, a political leader or an interest group is however not enough to justify a change.
Besides the two mainstream parties that played a crucial role in getting the amendment passed and supported the NFC Award, the two documents also enjoy the backing of all the nationalist parties that include ANP, PKMAP, BNP-M, BNP-A, JWP as well as religious parties like JUI-F, JI and the MMA alliance. The PPP leadership was the first to smell a rat and issued a warning last year that the PTI government was planning to bring changes in the 18th amendment.
On Friday, after saying goodbye to the PTI coalition, BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal attended a multiparty meeting of the Balochistan parties presided over by JUI-F chief Fazl-ur-Rehman. While Mr Akhtar Megal accused the PTI leadership of displaying “non-serious attitude” towards Balochistan’s problems, Maulana Fazlur Rehman read out to the press the declaration of the MPC which besides other issues expressed grave concern over the government’s move to amend the 18th Constitutional Amendment and change the NFC Award. The declaration said that the moves would be “resisted by the democratic forces” which would not accept any cut from the 57.5 per cent share of the provinces from the NFC.
It’s time the PM leaves the two contentious issues aside. He should instead concentrate on dealing with the pandemic with the support of all other parties who will be too happy to cooperate. Any move at this time to change the 18th amendment and NFC award would divide the nation and create problems for the PM even in the provinces ruled.by the PTI.
