Balochistan APC warns govt against touching 18th Amendment

ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Conference (APC) of opposition parties in Balochistan held here on Saturday announced to resist any changes if made by the federal government in the 18th Amendment and the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

“The democratic forces will make all out resistance against changes in the 18th Amendment and the NFC Award,” the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said while addressing a press conference along with the BNP head Nawab Akhtar Khan Mengal and other opposition leaders.

He said the APC of opposition parties of Balochistan expressed concerns over government’s plan about the 18th Amendment and made it clear that no change in it will be tolerated. He maintained that as per Article 160 of the Constitution, 57.5 percent share of provinces is fixed in resources in the NFC Award and no reduction in it would be tolerated.

The JUI-F chief said the APC also strongly condemned government’s efforts of undermining supremacy of the elected institutions like Parliament and worth of parliamentarians and giving importance to unelected elements in the country’s affairs. “We believe that the elected representatives can bring the country out of crisis,” he said.

Further reading out the declaration, he said the APC also demanded tracing missing persons. “We also demand that the process of illegal and unconstitutional arrests of people be stopped and those arrested should recovered,” he said.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the APC also demanded immediate implementation on mega projects under the CPEC and also expressed concerns over insufficient measures being taken to control locust attack in the Balochistan.

He said the federal and provincial governments have also failed to control COVID-19 resulting in increase in positive cases and deaths. He said the APC also demanded enhancing powers of the Senate which represents four provinces. Responding to a question, Akhtar Mengal said his party would rejoin the government coalition once the federal government announces to fulfil its promise and accept BNP’s demands. “I am not an individual to quit the coalition as the decision in this regard was taken by the party’s central executive committee,” he said.

He said previously the BNP continued to warn the PTI government while reminding it of its promises. “I think it never happened in the country’s history that a party announced to part ways with the government on floor of the Parliament,” he said.

Fazlur Rehman told a questioner that the opposition parties decided to resume contacts seeing unconstitutional measures and undermining the Parliament in the cover of suspension of routine life due to COVID-19.

To a question, he said there would also be option of no confidence motion against the government in the centre but there was need to think about it time and again before deciding about any practical step. He said the government was carrying out one sided accountability for victimisation of opposition leaders.

About judgement in Justice Faez Esa case, the JUI-F chief said the reference against the Supreme Court judge was based on bad intentions saying the superior court should also take notice of such actions.

Akhtar Mengal to a question suggested that a comparison should be made between wealth and properties of three dictators like Pervez Musharraf, Ayub Khan and Zialul Haq with all Nawabs and Sardars of Balochistan.