KARACHI(National Times)- Amid growing speculation over the possibility of the 28th Amendment, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman placed President Asif Ali Zardari in a difficult position on Monday, urging him to protect the 18th Amendment with the same determination he had shown in helping bring it into existence in 2010 while holding the same office.
Responding to a question about his thoughts on the proposed 28th Amendment while answering journalists’ queries after addressing a Meet the Press organised by the Karachi Press Club, the JUI-F chief said that the government had not come up with any position and everything remained blurred on the subject.
However, he sounded very clear about the 18th Amendment, calling it “an achievement of the political parties” after so much effort under the PPP-led coalition government in 2010, restoring the “supremacy of the Constitution” after it had suffered too many “blows” under different military rules.
He accused the current government of planning new legislation only to strengthen the military establishment and deepen its influence in the country’s system, while the ruling parties were neither serious about maintaining law and order nor improving the economy.
“It was the PPP’s government and Asif Ali Zardari was the president. Many people don’t know that President Zardari awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz to everyone involved in it. I was the only one who refused to accept it. Now, he’s president again and the 18th Amendment is under the radar. I ask him and invite him on behalf of my party to come forward and save the 18th Amendment for which his party takes credit.”
‘Transparent polls’
“So, in this situation, we all see that the country is facing serious political, economic and security crises while the ruling authorities are not showing seriousness in solving public problems, improving law and order, or strengthening the economy,” he said while demanding fresh, free, fair and transparent elections so that the “real representatives” of the people could come forward.
He referred to the security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, describing the current state of affairs in the two provinces as nothing less than a “rebellion”. On the economic front, he maintained that every second Pakistani was living below the poverty line.
“The country has faced challenges for decades but we believe that the last two elections [in 2018 and 2024] have caused such deep damage that it may take years for the country to recover from these crises. We have already announced a nationwide protest on May 22 to denounce government policies and growing inflation. We cannot remain silent spectators to the situation. We will play our role peacefully within the constitutional and legal framework.”
To a question about the war in the region and the country’s strained relations with Afghanistan, the JUI-F chief replied that Pakistan’s role in the Middle East and recent conflicts could not be more than that of a mediator and it was already playing that role.
“As far as Afghanistan is concerned, the two countries are important for each other despite disagreements on several issues,” he said.
“At times, I am unable to understand how quickly we change our positions. I have demanded earlier and I do again that an in-camera session of parliament must be called for a briefing on our foreign affairs. We should know why our diplomatic efforts have failed and why our relations with Afghanistan have come to this point.”
