Rabbani cautions against reversing 18th Amendment

QUETTA: Senator Raza Rabb­ani of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party has said that there are indications about rolling back of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution through the judiciary.

Speaking at a dialogue on 18th Amendment held in the Balochistan University of Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences here on Monday, he said 18th Amendment could be amended for further empowering the provinces. But, he added, there was no space to roll it back.

He said the Council of Common Interests was an important forum for resolving disputes between the provinces and the federation. He said a meeting the council, which was scheduled for Monday, had been cancelled.

He said the government wanted to take disputes with the provinces to the cabinet, but it would be a violation of the Constitution.

Mr Rabbani expressed apprehension that the country was moving toward an autocratic rule.

Former chief minister of Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said 18th Amendment had empowered the provinces to utilise their resources.

He said conspiracies were hatched to deprive the federating units of their rights enshrined in 18th Amendment.

He said many Balochi language books had been banned in Turbat and newspapers, including Dawn, were not being allowed to be distributed.

Sana Baloch said that federal resources were transferred to the provinces and 18th Amendment empowered them to sign agreements.

Earlier, Governor retired Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai inaugurated the Quetta Literary Festival.

Leading writers, intellectuals, analysts, poets, TV and film producers and prominent journalists from across the country attended the festival.