JUI-F’s APC opposes change to 18th Amendment

BNP-M chief says party will not vote for finance bill

ISLAMABAD: An All Parties Conference (APC) organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Balochistan on Saturday rejected any change to the 18th Constitutional Amendment and cut in the provincial share in the National Financial Commission (NFC) Award.

Addressing a joint news conference after the APC, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) head Akhtar Mengal declared that the opposition parties in the Balochistan would decide about any move to overthrow the provincial government.

Fazl remarked that the plans to change the NFC award was a conspiracy to roll back the 18th Amendment, while Mengal noted his party had left the government alliance, therefore, its lawmakers would not vote for the finance bill 2020-21.

Fazl stated that the meeting expressed concerns over the government's plans regarding the 18th Amendment.

“The 18th Amendment should be implemented in letter and spirit. No change is acceptable,” he said.

“Under the NFC Award, 57% [provincial] share is fixed in which no reduction will be accepted. If 18th Amendment and the NFC Award are amended, there will be resistance at every level,” he added.

Replying to a question about the apex court’s decision on Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the JUI-F chief maintained that the government had filed a “malicious” reference which had been declared invalid.

“The court should have awarded punishment for filing such a reference,” he said.

The JUI-F chief demanded an end to issuance of “fake” domiciles in the province and resumption of commercial activities at Taftan border.

While stressing that only the elected representatives could take the country out of crisis, he called for increasing the powers of the Senate.

He said that the Balochistan had been ignored in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and demanded that all reservations of the province should be addressed.

He also condemned the government’s “negligence and carelessness” regarding Covid-19 pandemic and locust attacks.

When asked about chances of no-confidence motions against Prime Minister Imran Khan or Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal, both Fazl and Mengal declared that the decision would be taken by the provincial parties, and added “we have the Senate election in front of us at the Centre”.

Mengal told the reporters that he alone could not take any decision about re-joining the PTI-led coalition.

“This is the decision of our party’s central executive committee,” he said.

“If the government is serious about the problems facing Balochistan, then the whole province will join PTI,” he added.

Responding to a question about the budget, Mengal commented that he had left the government and would not support the finance bill.

The APC was hosted by JUI-F Balochistan Amir Maulana Abdul Wasay and Secretary General Agha Mahmood Shah and attended by BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal, Senator Usman Kakar from Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami party (PkMAP), Senator Mir Shahi Kabir of the National Party, Senator Muhammad Malik, leaders of opposition parties and others.