News
Sunday, July 14, 2013
PPP accuse Nawaz govt of violating constitution* Raza Rabbani says federal government heading towards one-unit-like system
Staff Report
KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Senator Raza Rabbani has accused the federal government of violating the constitution and attempting to enforce one-unit in the country.
“It will be very dangerous for the federation as well as the country if the federal government tried to role back the 18th Constitutional Amendment and impose one-unit,” warned senior leader of the PPP at a press conference held at Qasr-e-Naz. Other party leaders, Taj Haider, Waqar Mahdi and Rashid Rabbani also accompanied him on the occasion.
He said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in the Centre has started Constitutional violations since its inception. According to him the government has not constituted Council of Common Interests (CCI) within the constitutional time frame. It is not just a serious violation of the Constitution but also a breach of the Parliament as the CCI is answerable to the Parliament.
Referring to the conditions International Monitory Fund has set while granting fresh loan to the country, the PPP leader said that the government has also to ratify these conditions from the CCI after the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Similarly, he added, the matter pertaining to energy policy should also be brought before this forum for seeking legal cover for the policy.
Raza Rabbani expressed his wonder at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s act of taking Punjab Chief Minster along during his China visit, briefing at the ISI Headquarters and while formulating the energy policy. The PPP leader said that Punjab CM accompanying the prime minister cannot be justified as the other three provinces are most affected by terrorism.
He also expressed concern over media reports that the Federal government has directed the Sui Southern Gas Company to increase gas supply to Northern Gas Company up to 110 million cubic feet without taking other provinces in confidence. He termed it another violation of the Constitution; saying that Article 178 of the Constitution clearly states needs of the province where any natural resource is produced will be met first.
He said everybody knows Sindh produces around 70 percent of gas in the country, but it faces gas loadshedding.
Speaking on the occasion another senior leader of the PPP, Taj Haider disclosed that the Sindh government has yet not started working on development of two 50MW gas-based power plants in Nooriabad as the Federal government has not issued an NOC yet. He said that the province is unable to start working on the project despite that it was authorised for producing electricity at its own under the 18th Amendment. Responding to a question, Raza Rabbani dispelled the impression that the PPP acts like a nationalist party and uses Sindh Card whenever it is in Opposition at the Centre. He said that the PPP is a federal party and most of the provincial autonomy the provinces have, has been received while the PPP was in power at the Centre.
Responding to another question, Rabbani said that the Federal government should officially release Abbotabad Commission report, to end the debate, whether the report is complete, final or not.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk