Bilawal playing Sindh card over Article 149, charges MQM

KARACHI: Reacting over the Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s press conference, the Mutahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s spokesperson on Thursday said Article 149 (4) is part of the country's constitution.

The PPP chairman on Thursday had criticized the federal government for “trying to occupy Karachi” following Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem’s statement that the Centre was considering taking over the administrative affairs of the metropolis through a little-known constitutional provision. For the past several months, the MQM-P has been asking the Prime Minister Imran Khan to exercise the federal government’s power under Article 149 (directions to provinces in certain cases) of the Constitution.

In its statement on Thursday, the MQM-P said following the footsteps of his predecessors, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is playing the ‘Sindh card’ and wants to strengthen its vote bank through such provocative statements. “Whenever there is a discussion over the administrative and constitutional changes, the PPP see danger to country’s integrity,” the MQM-P’s spokesperson said. “The PPP claims to be proud of laying foundations of the constitution but unfortunately, cries when it is implemented,” the party said.

“The federal government can exercise its authority under Article 149 of the Constitution if a province deliberately fails to provide fundamental rights, such as education, safe drinking water, security, and cleanliness,” the MQM-P claimed. It claimed that PPP and its chairperson Bilawal cannot present a single constitutional article that can prevent the federal government from implementing Article 149.