Kamal favours changes in 18th Amendment, not its rollback

[UmarJustice]

Without involving local governments into the mix for working on development and solving issues at the root, 18th amendment is useless and only benefits those who created it Zardari (PPP)

As the debate on the future of 18th Amendment to the Constitution is going on, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the landmark legislation does not need to be scrapped but needs some amendments.

Kamal has been very vocal against 18th Amendment because no provincial government, especially the Sindh government, ever bothered to devolve powers they get from the Centre as a result of the constitutional amendment at the grassroots level i.e. local governments.

Not only the PSP, its nemesis, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan is also very critical of the 18th Amendment, mainly because of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government in Sindh, and it time and again said that the people had been deceived in the name of 18th Amendment that in fact, according to party convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, led to “accumulation of powers” instead of “devolution of powers”.

“The fruits of 18th Amendment can only be reaped by empowering the people to the grassroots level through legal reforms,” said PSP chief Kamal while speaking at a meeting of his party’s central executive committee and national council.

Commenting about the constitution of the 10th National Finance Commission (NFC), he said that like NFC award, the provincial finance commission (PFC) award was also necessary so that all the funds, which lie with the chief ministers, should flow towards districts in a judicious manner.

“A complete chapter about local governments must be added [to the Constitution] by amending the 18th Amendment,” he said, adding: “An incomplete amendment is harming the country instead of benefiting it.”

He said that this important issue was raised before the 2018 general elections, but the rulers of that time preferred “personal interests over the national interest”.

The latest debate on 18th Amendment has begun after key Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said during a TV talk show that the 18th Amendment had some defects and called for reviewing it.

It gained momentum when Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that the legislation was a hurdle in preparing a uniform policy to fight the coronavirus across the country as after the amendment the federal government’s role in various spheres had been limited to issuing policy guidelines.

However, earlier this week Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had told the Senate that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government had no plans to scrap the 18th Amendment, saying all its “positive” features were acceptable to the government, but there was a need to revisit the “weak” parts.

Major opposition parties — the PPP, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz — had made it clear that they would not allow the rollback of the historic amendment and protect the provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Amendment at all costs.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1557384/kamal-favours-changes-in-18th-amendment-not-its-rollback

 

[Fracker]

So what I read, he is mainly adding into constitution rather then changing it. Extending powers further to grassroot level. His opinion is opposite to government who want more powers for center.

Generally speak, which part of 18 amendment is having issue as per this government. They are blaming that due 18th amendment they can't came uniform policy, but what happen in KPK, Punjab, Baluchistan and center ? Why those are not insync?

 

[Syed1.]

So what I read, he is mainly adding into constitution rather then changing it. Extending powers further to grassroot level. His opinion is opposite to government who want more powers for center.

Generally speak, which part of 18 amendment is having issue as per this government. They are blaming that due 18th amendment they can't came uniform policy, but what happen in KPK, Punjab, Baluchistan and center ? Why those are not insync?

Where did you read government wants more power at the center? Don't make things up


Also there is immediate need to amend the 18th amendment to include local government. Karachi, the financial hub of the country doesn't vote for PPP but is still ruled by Sindhi waderas. This is unacceptable for people of Karachi.

 

[UmarJustice]

PPP wants to destroy Karachi so maybe maybe Karachi will vote for PPP or its just that PPP has given up and filling up their last pockets as quickly as possible.

 

[Fracker]

Where did you read government wants more power at the center? Don't make things up


Also there is immediate need to amend the 18th amendment to include local government. Karachi, the financial hub of the country doesn't vote for PPP but is still ruled by Sindhi waderas. This is unacceptable for people of Karachi.

So what else you are expecting Government has the issue? This clause "Holding constitution in abeyance is tantamount to high treason"?

It's either this or other candidate is NLC awards where they have to pay to provincial governments . Otherwise what else is the issue with 18 amendment?

Adding local government means federal government has more burden and more lost of powers. It could be yours or Mustafa Kamal wish list but not the plans for federal government when they said 18 amendment don't allow them to have uniform policy across country.