‘Local govt got no rights through 18th amendment’

Sindh Assembly opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on Saturday that the local government has not been given rights through the 18th amendment.

He was addressing a news conference at the Insaf House, the PTI’s secretariat in Karachi. “The 18th amendment is not [a sacred document]; we will amend it. The provincial finance commission has been inactive since 2006.”

Naqvi admitted that his party had promised not to approach the International Monetary Fund. “We stick to our word, but we cannot harm the country for the fulfilment of our promises.”

He said the Pakistan Peoples Party has spent 11 years in the Sindh government and claimed that the problems of the people have remained the same.

“Provincial minister Nasir Shah had talked about 10,000 buses, but has not even given 50 buses until now. Sindh’s rulers could give neither clean water nor any good plan for sewerage system. Shahbaz Sharif was better than them, as he developed Lahore even as he [misappropriated funds].”

The PTI leader said that though the provisions of the 18th amendment are essential, the federal government wants to increase the powers of the provinces instead of decreasing them.

“Some things should be dealt on national level to the extent of policy. Labour, education, health, mines and minerals are the subjects where national policy is essential.”

Naqvi said that any company would prefer Pakistan over individual provinces. “The 18th amendment was created by the people sitting in the assembly, and now the assembly will amend it.”