27th Amendment: nationalist parties up in arms

The nationalist parties have announced a protest movement against the proposed 27th constitutional amendment, calling the workers to take to the streets from November 11. A meeting, hosted at GM Syed Edifice in Jamshoro district on Friday by Sindh United Party (SUP), also decided to call a large conclave of the nationalists and likeminded parties to ponder over the issue on November 17.

"The rulers want to bring an end to Sindh's geographical unity; control natural resources and to enfeeble the judiciary," argued SUP's president Syed Zain Shah at a press conference held after a three-hour long meeting. "A renewed One Unit system will be launched in Sindh after dividing the province."

Shah and other nationalist leaders believed that the center wanted to further consolidate its control over Sindh's natural resources, water, coast and land. They contended that both the judiciary as well as the local government system will be weakened through the said amendment.

"We categorically reject this decision of the government and we will bring the people of Sindh to streets to vehemently oppose this amendment," warned Shah and other leaders. They reiterated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is once again trading off Sindh to sustain itself in power.

Jeay Sindh Mahaz's President Riaz Ali Chandio said they firmly believe that the PPP is hands in gloves in the exercise of building consensus over the amendment. He told that the Sindh Action Committee, which had spearheaded protests against construction of canals on the Indus River in Punjab, has been revived and that the call for the November 11 protests has been given from the platform of that committee.

According to him, the workers of the nationalist parties and the people of Sindh will organize protests in all districts of Sindh on November 11 to voice their rejection of the amendment. Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz's Dr Niaz Kalani, JSQM-Bashir Qureshi's Deedar Shaam, Sindh Qaumi Party's Nawaz Khan Zaunr, Qaumi Awami Tehreek's Altaf Khakheli and others attended the meeting.

Separately, the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), Hyderabad, will also organize a convention to express the legal fraternity's disapproval for the 26th and 27th amendments. The bar's General Secretary Israr Hussain Chang informed on Friday that the event will discuss the legal and constitutional ramifications of the two amendments besides passing the resolutions.