World is fighting against Covid-19: We are fighting against Covid-18, says Maulana Fazlur Rehman

KARACHI: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Thursday said that the country has been put on the road to ruins, adding that the state institutions were not on the same page.

Speaking to the media after an All Parties Conference (APC), the JUI-F chief said that such was the condition of the country that no political entity was ready to run the government. He said that the matter was not of minus-one but the whole basket of eggs needed to be disposed of, adding that the world was fighting against COVID-19 but “we are fighting with Covid-18.”

Earlier, the APC organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Sindh, on Thursday rejected any change to the 18th Constitutional Amendment and cut in the provincial share in the National Financial Commission (NFC) Award. However, it agreed that the provinces should also devolve powers and funds further to the local government bodies in the cities.

Addressing a joint news conference after the APC, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, remarked that the plans to change the NFC Award was a conspiracy to roll back the 18th Amendment and all political parties will jointly resist the government’s move.

The conference was attended by Pakistan People's Party’s central leader and former federal minister Sherry Rehman, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's deputy convener Amir Khan, Sindh Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan’s leader Shah Owais Noorani, Pakistan Muslim Leauge Nawaz Karachi President Salman Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh chief Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, Balochistan National Party Mengal’s leader Jahanzaib Baloch, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s leader Sardar Abdul Rahim, Awami National Party Sindh President Shahi Said, Qaumi Awami Tehreek chief Ayaz Latif Palijo, Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party chief Qadir Magsi, Nizam-e-Mustafa Party chief Alhaj Rafi, Pakistan Muslim League Quaid Sindh President Tariq Hasan, Sindh United Party’s leader Roshan Abro, Islam Tehreek’s leader Allama Nazir Abbas Taqvi, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’ Sindh chief Nazir Jan Lala, National Party’s leader Taji Marri, Pak Sarzameen Party’s leader Arshad Vohra, general secretary of JUI-F Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and his party colleagues Maulana Rashid Soormo and others.

A joint declaration adopted on the occasion said: “This government has no right to make changes in the immensely-important 18th Amendment. Such an effort would do away with the parliamentary and democratic spirit of the Constitution.” The declaration also stressed that the technical board/non-statutory members of the 10th NFC should belong to the provinces concerned and should be nominated by the governor and provincial government in consultation with the opposition parties.

The declaration demanded that the provincial share in the 10th NFC Award should be increased by 57.5 percent in accordance with Section 160, sub-section 3-A of the Constitution and decrease in it would not be accepted. The meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI) should be called after a time period of three months on a regular basis to resolve the constitutional issues between the Centre and the provinces, the declaration said.

The APC also condemned the sacking of workers from Pakistan Steel Mills and urged for a CCI meeting to resolve the issue. The conference also demanded to trace the missing persons. “We also demand that the process of illegal and unconstitutional arrests of people be stopped and those arrested should be recovered,” the declaration said.

The conference also discussed the miseries of farmers owing to the massive locust attack on crops in the country and urged the government to announce a relief package for the affected farming community. The APC also demanded immediate implementation on mega projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and said that all the provinces should equally benefit from the “game-changer' project.

The conference criticised the unilateral actions of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to suppress the media freedom and said the current government does not want to face criticism nor allow the media organization to work freely. The meeting also discussed in detail the situation arising due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It expressed serious concern over the non-serious steps taken to tackle the pandemic and alleviate miseries of the people as a result of the long lockdown.

The conference also discussed the suspension of the Pakistan International Airlines’ permit to fly to the European Union countries due to the “allegation” of dubious licenses hurled by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar and that sacking of workers and selling off the properties of the national carrier would not be accepted.