Tirade against 18th Amend

Sherpao accuses PM of violating Constitution

By Our correspondent

CHAKDARRA: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said on Sunday that it was strange that a political party which could not deliver in its five-year term managed to form its government for the second time.

Talking to reporters here, he said it had happened for the first time in the parliamentary history of Pakistan that a political party was voted to power despite its dismal performance.

He said the prime minister was violating the Constitution by speaking against the 18th Amendment. Commenting on Imran Khan’s recent remarks that the federation had gone bankrupt after the 18th Amendment, he maintained that resources were distributed among the provinces under the National Finance Commission Award and the 18th Amendment had got nothing to do with it. “The government requires a two-thirds majority in each of the two Houses of the Parliament to amend the Constitution,” he explained, saying the government even did not have a simple majority at present. About the ongoing accountability process, he said the government was victimising the opposition in the name of accountability and fighting corruption. “Such arbitrary acts will defame the national institutions,” he noted with concern.

Aftab Sherpao said the government should develop a working relationship with the opposition as it would not be able to run the assemblies without the cooperation of other parties. He said the recent report of the Provincial Inspection Team about the misuse of public funds and poor planning in the execution of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRP) project was a charge-sheet against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. “The government is not taking action on the basis of the report because the PTI leaders are involved in corruption in this project,” he added.

The QWP leader said Prime Minister Imran Khan had claimed in the past that he would prefer suicide to seek the loan from the International Monetary Fund but now his government was going to hold a discussion on a bailout package. Aftab Sherpao said Pakistan’s foreign debt burden had drastically increased in the last eight months. He said the value of the US dollar had hit an all-time high while the Pakistan rupee had been devalued.

“Pakistan has lagged far behind due to the ill-conceived policies of the PTI rulers,” he added.

He dismissed the reports that he was going to join the Pakistan People’s Party. “Neither the PPP has approached us nor are we going to join it,” he clarified.