Upgrading divisions into provinces: Imran’s idea an attempt to enforce presidential system: Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the idea of PTI chairman for transforming each division into a province, senior politician and Senator Mian Raza Rabbani termed the proposal an attempt for enforcing a presidential government in the country.

“This is a crude attempt to mend fences with the establishment, who have since long advocated this cause, said Rabbani, adding, “Ayub and Musharraf’s one unit style of government has been tried and failed.”

Former chairman Senate said provinces are created when there is a linguistic, ethnic and cultural affinity rather than on the basis of administrative divisions. He further said that the proposal would create vertical and horizontal polarisation in the society.

Former chairman Senate questioned the political agenda behind Imran’s statement on Pakistan’s division into three parts, asking, “Is the establishment on board?” Raza Rabbani also indicated to an alleged plan of awarding a two third majority to the PTI in the next elections in order to amend the Constitution for the revival of Ayub’s era. He added that such a proposal would sharpen the internal fault lines and destroy the federation. “It will be a role back of the 18th Amendment,” said Rabbani, adding the proposal would replace the parliamentary form of government with the quasi presidential or presidential form of government. “This will alter the federal structure of the Constitution,” he said.