Bilawal says govt has not approached PPP on any constitutional amendment

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that the federal government had not contacted either him or President Asif Ali Zardari regarding any constitutional amendment, amid discussion surrounding a possible 28th amendment.

Speaking after chairing the PPP parliamentary party meeting at Parliament House, Bilawal said, "President Zardari and I remain in contact with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but the government has not contacted the PPP regarding any constitutional amendment."

Addressing the parliamentary party meeting, he also said, "No talks have taken place yet on the 28th Amendment; [but] I do not know about tomorrow." adding that he would comment if there were any developments.

Bilawal said the PPP’s role in the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments was clear and maintained that his party had not allowed provincial rights to be curtailed. He said those amendments had instead strengthened provincial rights. According to him, the PPP’s efforts also ensured representation of all provinces in the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court. He further said that through the party’s amendments, Balochistan’s representation in the Senate had increased.

His remarks came after State Minister for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik rejected the impression that any future 28th amendment would amount to undoing the 18th Amendment. Speaking on Geo News programme Capital Talk, Malik said, "This impression being created that if the 28th Amendment is introduced, it is a rollback of the 18th Amendment — I believe an extremely false impression is being created." He added that no official work was under way on any constitutional amendment at present, though broader national issues had been discussed earlier.

The 18th Amendment, passed during the PPP-led government in 2010, has remained the subject of debate, with calls in the past for changes to it. The PPP has opposed such proposals and has said it would resist any changes to the amendment.

Budget committee formed

Bilawal also announced a four-member senior committee to hold budget negotiations with the federal government. The committee comprises Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Saleem Mandviwala, Sherry Rehman and Naveed Qamar.

He said the federal government would not be able to pass either a constitutional amendment or the budget without the PPP’s support. He added that the party’s senior committee would present its budget proposals to the government.

The PPP chairman said people across the country were facing serious hardship because of inflation and that the party was raising these issues at both the federal and provincial levels. He said the economic situation remained grave and appeared to be worsening, warning that the upcoming budget was likely to be difficult and could bring further hardship for the public.

Bilawal said the government would have to make relief-oriented decisions while keeping economic difficulties in view. He said the PPP had welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s relief measures and added that, through consultation, all provinces had agreed to support steps aimed at reducing inflation, including relief for motorcycle users. He also said the PPP had helped millions of farmers through the Benazir Kisan Card.

Position on national matters

Clarifying the party’s position, Bilawal said the PPP stood with the government on every constitutional amendment and national issue. Referring to tensions with India, he said that during the war he had raised his voice on international media platforms in defence of the country as a patriot.

On Iran-US tensions, he said the PPP had fully supported the federal government and added, "As Pakistanis, we are united on such matters." according to Dawn. He also said no offer had been made to him regarding the Iran-US war and negotiations, while expressing hope that talks between Tehran and Washington would succeed in the future.

Bilawal further said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were making efforts for peace and for ending Iran-US tensions.

We want the situation to return to normal, after which we will discuss the government’s performance and promises.

Regarding the National Accountability Bureau amendments, Bilawal said the PPP had clearly told the government that the party had historically sought NAB’s abolition. He said the PPP had supported the new amendments because of the government’s compulsions, but warned that if the government did not fulfil its commitments to the PPP, the party could revisit its decisions.

He also said Pakistan’s foreign policy was moving in the right direction and was being shaped in the national interest.