Only parliament can undo 26th amendment: Bilawal

PPP-CEC demands immediate CCI session on canals Calls for local govt elections in Punjab, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

As the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court is set to take up the petitions against the 26th Constitutional Amendment next week, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned on Friday that no forum, other than parliament, could undo the amendment.

Talking to reporters after a meeting with the Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, the PPP chairman called on the judges to follow the Constitution and the law, warning that if any other institution repealed the 26th Amendment, no-one would accept it.

The 26th Amendment was passed by parliament in October last year, bringing sweeping changes to the laws pertaining to the appointment of the chief justice and other judges of the superior judiciary, as well as the creation of the Constitutional Bench.

Later, the amendment was challenged in the apex court, with the petitioners requesting the court to declare it unconstitutional. The petitioners also challenged the procedure adopted for the passage of the amendment bill. The Constitutional Bench was set to hear those petitions on Monday.

"No one can repeal it, except Parliament. If any institution repealed it, neither we nor anyone else will accept it," Bilawal told reporters. "Whether the bench is of the Supreme Court or a Constitutional Bench, both must obey the Constitution and the law," he added.

During his media talk, Bilawal was also asked about the rumours pertaining to his participation in the inauguration ceremony of US President Donald Trump. "The media had reported that … so the media should be asked," he said in a terse reply.

However, he said that he would visit the US in his personal capacity. "I will definitely go to America for breakfast. This routine is going on since my mother's time. I will also meet some friends. I am neither a minister, nor a government official, so I do not have any official engagement during the visit."

Bilawal hoped the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led coalition government would complete its constitutional term of five years. "Insha Allah," he said to the question. However, he made it clear: "But we are not becoming part of the federal cabinet".

Regarding the passage of the Pakistan Electronic Crime Act Amendment (Peca) Bill, he said that it would have been better if the representatives of the media and digital media were pre-consulted. "It would be better for the government to build consensus before taking any decision."

CEC meeting

Also, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari along with President Asif Zardari co-chaired a meeting of the PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting. The meeting discussed the ongoing political situation in the country and received a briefing on the party's negotiations with the government.

During the meeting, the participants raised complaints against the PML-N, saying that the ruling party was not taking them into confidence before taking any decisions. The majority of the participants suggested the top leadership to end the alliance with the PML-N.

The PPP-CEC meeting also passed several resolutions, read out to the media by PPP Central Information Secretary Nayyar Bukhari. Through these resolutions, the PPP demanded immediate convening of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to resolve disputes between the federation and the provinces.

The demand for CCI meeting pertained to the controversy over the construction of six new canals from the Indus river. Sindh has strongly objected to the new canals—one of the major causes of friction between the two coalition partners.

The PPP-CEC demanded immediate holding of local government elections in Punjab and Islamabad so that better service could be provided to the people. The meeting also expressed concerns over the government's "anti-labour measures" in various institutions.

The meeting expressed deep concern over the tense situation in the Kurram district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and demanded the immediate restoration of peace and the immediate opening of the routes for the delivery of relief goods.

The PPP-CEC urged the federal government to release funds for the rehabilitation of the flood-affected communities in Balochistan. It called for addressing the demands of Gilgit-Baltistan's people regarding ownership rights and self-governance.

The meeting passed another resolution, which strongly condemned Indian atrocities in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and reaffirmed support for the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination under the United Nations resolutions.