MQM foresees another amendment

HYDERABAD: Parties should start working towards the 19th Amendment bill so that provinces are given more autonomy, suggested federal minister Dr Farooq Sattar on Thursday.

The deputy convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) predicted that since conspiracies against the 18th Amendment have started circulating, there will be demands for a new constitution if this bill is not implemented completely. He was talking at a seminar in Hyderabad.

The 19th Amendment will include a federal authority on ports, sales tax on goods, central excise duty, complete authority on natural resources and financial freedom which will make Pakistan more stable, said Dr Sattar.

He complained that all highranking officials at the provincial level, such as IGs, DIGs and DPOs, are imported from Islamabad. The Thar coal power plant can produce 50,000 megawatts of electricity that can last 300 years but the provinces lack autonomy as decisions made by the coal authority are discussed in the National Assembly or the Senate, he stated. Referring to the Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa issue, Dr Sattar said that the MQM supported the Awami National Party.

All parties should get together to discuss the issue and come up with a political solution, he added. Meanwhile, the MQM Rabita Committee also met to discuss the creation of new provinces that was suggested by their leader Altaf Hussain several years ago. The MQM supports the demand of the people of Hazara for creating a separate province. In fact, the party also supports other new provinces, said a press release on Thursday.