18th amendment under spotlight again

[HAIDER]

All tv channels on this topic today.
Issue : Govt wants to bring some changes in 18th amendment.
All opposition parties against this move .
Off the record with Kashif Abbasi hot debate . Post it later.

PTI and 18th amendment
BY EDITORIAL , (LAST UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO)

• Centrist streak incompatible with Jinnah’s vision

The 18th Amendment was passed by the National Assembly in October 2010 with the full support of all political parties. The Amendment was aimed at removing the major vestiges of the military rule that had beaten the 1973 constitution out of shape, thus fulfilling the promise of further extending the scope of provincial autonomy made in 1973. The Amendment also transferred executive powers to the PM which since the Zia-era had been assumed by the President. The 18th Amendment provided the provinces with strong legislative and financial autonomy through Council of Common Interests and the National Economic Council. After the Amendment, the constitution resumed its original federal and parliamentary character, putting paid to the fissiparous tendencies that were getting strengthened in the provinces.

The 18th Amendment was a major step forward in the constitutional history of Pakistan. It however had serious shortcomings. Among other things, it failed to strike down some of the divisive additions to the constitution brought about by Zia and maintained by the pseudo-liberal Musharraf. It still retained clauses targeting religious minorities along with additional provisions added to Articles 62 and 63 as a trap to get rid of the elected leaders considered troublesome by the establishment. Ironically those who had opposed their removal while the 18th amendment was being deliberated were the first to fall victim to the undefined Sadiq and Ameen clauses.

Constitutional provisions are by no means carved in stone. The constitution has to be upgraded from time to time to bring it in sync with ground realities. There is a need for instance to ensure the devolution of power to local governments, something not appreciated by political parties. Equally important is to underline that a constitutional amendment must not be introduced without national consensus. It took two years of deliberations between the political parties before the 18th amendment was brought to the NA for vote.

PM Imran Khan has an authoritarian streak and a tendency to turn the federal parliamentary system into a unitary presidential form of governance. The tendency goes against the thinking of the Founding Father who strongly advocated an inclusive federal parliamentary system suitable for a multiethnic, multi-religious country
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spotlight on 18th Amendment as Pakistan fights COVID-19
BY STAFF REPORT , (LAST UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO)

–Bilawal says federal govt isn’t coordinating with provinces in fight against coronavirus outbreak

–Ahsan accuses govt of encroaching on 18th Amendment, warns against meddling with provincial autonomy

–Qureshi says govt has no intention of doing away with 18th Amendment, but there’s a need to review it

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday accused the federal government of encroaching on the rights of the provinces, as the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that it had no intention of doing away with the 18th Amendment.

In an interview with BBC Urdu, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the federal government was interpreting the 18th Amendment incorrectly.

He said this in reference to the disparity between the anti-coronavirus measures of the federal and provincial governments. He added that there is a need for unity between the Centre and the provinces.

He accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of distancing himself from the provinces and their problems. “It is the responsibility of the country’s leadership to take difficult decisions in the event of a national crisis. But this will be the first time that the Centre and the prime minister have announced their disengagement from the provinces,” he said.

Referring to the recent efforts of the federal government to bring some major hospitals of Sindh under its control, Bilawal said, “The 18th Amendment is ignored when the Centre wants to snatch the hospitals from Sindh, but when there is an pandemic all over the world and the country is in war like situation, the Centre is talking about the 18th Amendment.”

Talking about the responsibilities of the federal government, Bilawal said that if the Centre has no role to play after the 18th Amendment, then why is there a National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) in the country and why is there a federal health secretary.

Stressing the need for unity to fight the deadly virus, he said, “Statements of the prime minister are very irresponsible. Every province is trying to deal with the situation to the best of its ability, but even then, Centre is busy in criticism”.

Talking about the perception of tensions between the Centre and Sindh, Bilawal said that the federal government criticised the most successful province “to hide its incompetence”.

Separately, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that the 18th Amendment came about as a result of national consensus and any attempts to meddle with it would result in further controversy.

The former planning minister asked that when the amendment was passed unanimously by all parties, then why is it being disturbed, especially in this time of distress for the country.

He said that the government’s priority should be to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, not set its sight on the 18th Amendment.

He accused the government of spreading political hatred instead of reaching out to provincial governments and working together. He advised the government to reinstate local governments to help fight the virus effectively instead of encroaching on the 18th Amendment.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that while the government has no intention of revoking the 18th Amendment, the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak requires a thorough review of the constitutional amendment through bilateral consultations.

Speaking to the media at Parliament House after attending the fourth meeting of Parliamentary Committee on Coronavirus, the foreign minister said that although the importance of 18th Amendment vis a vis the provincial autonomy could not be denied, yet there was a need to see whether its objectives were achieved.

He said that if the provinces’ practice of looking towards the Centre despite getting enhanced share in national resources after devolution of power through the 18th Amendment continued, then there was a need to sit together and review the situation.

The foreign minister said that the provinces got various incentives from the Centre under the 18th Amendment but did not pass on the same to lower levels.

He said that as the federal government only gets resources for current expenditures, debt servicing and defence under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award after 18th Amendment, all the stakeholders should sit together to discuss and review the distribution of resources before a new NFC Award.

Earlier while speaking during the meeting of the parliamentary committee, the minister said that there was no problem between the federal and Sindh governments except the difference of opinion on the issue of lockdown.

He said that despite a general impression that there was an effective lockdown in Karachi, coronavirus cases in the provincial metropolis were increasing.

The committee also unanimously approved a resolution demanding immediate release of the traders arrested in Karachi on Sunday.

 

[Morpheus]

Realistically speaking. Does the current gov have any way to removing this or even make changes to it? They don't have the majority required to make constitutional changes. The crooks have made it impossible to make changes without their consent. We got crooks sitting in SC, and parliament that will never allow it to be removed or changed. Short of suspended the constitution and then arresting all these people, it can't be removed.

 

[Path-Finder]

kill this 18th amendment, bloody crooks are killing Pakistan.

 

[TNT]

I think 18th amendment is good, its better that provinces have autonomy. The central govt should not and cannot control everything. Maybe some good changes can work.

 

[Verve]

kill this 18th amendment, bloody crooks are killing Pakistan.

Agreed. They are going to defang Provinces and rightly so.

Information Ministry revamp will build a new narrative towards it!

 

[HAIDER]

I think 18th amendment is good, its better that provinces have autonomy. The central govt should not and cannot control everything. Maybe some good changes can work.

It's good but provinces failed to manage funds. There is not trickle down effect.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

18th Amendment should stay. Otherwise Federal only prefer some of the locations to spend the bedget while others do blame game so no more blame game give the funds to the Province so that people of the province can directly ask their provincial government about their performance in 5 years

 

[TNT]

It's good but provinces failed to manage funds. There is not trickle down effect.

And when have federal govt managed any funds? By centralization u add more steps, even further decreasing trickle down. PTI boasts abt KPK first govt, it was possible because of autonomy.
The main point that federal govt is in pain about 18th amendment because it allows the province to have right and control over natural resources. Before 18 amnd, main local parties had one slogan, govt is eating our resources, our gas, our oil, our patsan. It gave fuel to separatist elements, ANP in KPK used this excuse but now cant. after 18th amnd all these excuses vanished. Let the local ppl have their own powerful administration and let ppl hold them accountable.

 

[Dual Wielder]

forgive my ignorance, but can a referendum revoke it? No doubt the sold out media houses will do their best to mislead the public.. but I think it's the only possible way for salvation

 

[Path-Finder]

for those supporting 18th amendment, a reality check for them. this amendment has no record of proposition in the country! nawaj sharif famously said it had no idea about it and went along with it. this amendment was done on the request of who exactly ? anyone know?

here is the most important fact. money from federation goes to provinces but nothing goes back to the center !

so sindh for example gets what it is owed through nfc award. but it gives nothing back to the centre which means federation that is Pakistan as a state as a nation is always broke. it cannot generate wealth but it must give the crooks in sindh money who cannot be questioned about where they spend it.

fake account case ring a bell anyone? well because centre is broke it must borrow money to keep the country intact. does anyone remember that batty he/she billo screaming that if 18th amendment was touched then that bc will break Pakistan and make sindudesh!

here is another way to look at it, does anyone here not know who ptm works for? well snow white dawar has threatened the state as well if 18th amendment is changed or scrapped.

this amendment is to weaken the federation and break central government and break Pakistan.


i hope i managed to explain it to those delirious folks who think it is some miracle.

 

[xyxmt]

Realistically speaking. Does the current gov have any way to removing this or even make changes to it? They don't have the majority required to make constitutional changes. The crooks have made it impossible to make changes without their consent. We got crooks sitting in SC, and parliament that will never allow it to be removed or changed. Short of suspended the constitution and then arresting all these people, it can't be removed.

same crooks will help them undo it, double the income for crooks

 

[Dark-Destroyer]

The 18th amendment hasnt worked look at sindh as an prime example.

And all those who threatened to breal Pakistan over it shows that they are gaining from it so scrap it and the paper its written on down their throats.

The federation needs to be strengthened and each province should be held accountable for their spendings.

People are so quick to forget about the bank accounts of the pakora wala samosa wala faluda wala

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

There is a strong need for a check/balance system to ensure Provinces are doing what they are suppose to do under the 18th amendment

1- Karachi's water crisis exist even after 18th amendment
2- Pakistan Steele Mills is shut down even after 18th amendment
3- Tanker mafia charge Karachi residents for water supply , even after 18th amendment
4- Citizen of Karachi are not given Tax return on the water they bought which should be free
5- No mega project completed in Karachi related to transport in last 10 years
6- Cities of Pakistan majority of homes have no paint on exterior no enforcement of law
7- Majority of Sindh looks like a war torn zone


No visible sign even 1% is spent on Beautification of cities

18th Amendment does not gurentees money will reach the lower level institutes which are responsible for work in small towns and villages


Sindh has not launched single mega water conservation Project out of their funding to solve the water crisis


Paris

Hyderabad Sindh

Scene from 18th Amendment beneficiary Province Sindh

Sindh Government needs to give account for their expenditure

2019-2020 Budget , Sindh was given 8 Billion US Dollars !!!!
2019-2020 Budget , Sindh was given special 1.5 Billion US Dollar extra for Karachi alone


???? where is the money


8,000,000,000 USD (8 billion dollar lot of money !!!)

Remember Pakistani Labour for cleaning and maintenance is cheap the cities should have looked sparkling gems with labor force for beautification

 

[Syed1.]

If PTI kills 18th Amendment then nobody can beat PTI in Karachi for next 2-3 elections. That's how much this 'sobayi khud mukhtari' BS is hated in Karachi because it is just a licence for PPP to rule over Karachi without winning any seats from there.

 

[Verve]

18th was designed to break up Pakistan. It should be undone or major surgery performed on it.