ANP to back 28th Amendment with conditions

PESHAWAR:

The Awami National Party (ANP) has indicated its conditional support for the 28th Constitutional Amendment, stressing that any constitutional changes must prioritize public interest, provincial rights, federal justice, and democratic stability.

Speaking on behalf of the party, ANP central spokesperson Engineer Ehsanullah Khan said that Pakistan's Constitution cannot serve the ambitions of an individual or a single institution. "Constitutional amendments must protect provincial autonomy, ensure federal justice, and strengthen democratic governance," he added.

Engineer Ehsanullah Khan clarified that the ANP will only support the 28th Amendment if the government fully honors the commitments made during the 27th Amendment process. "The ANP will not compromise on provincial rights. All safeguards provided under the 18th Amendment, the NFC Award, and provisions on provincial autonomy must remain intact," he emphasized.

The spokesperson also called for constitutional relief for provinces generating hydropower, ensuring no federal taxes, surcharges, or extra costs on electricity. "For domestic consumers in these provinces, electricity rates should be capped at Rs10 per unit for the first 500 units," he said.

Regarding tobacco farmers, Engineer Ehsanullah Khan demanded that all taxes on growers be abolished, and the full tax collected on raw tobacco purchases by industries be allocated to the producing province.