ANP asks judiciary to keep out of parliament’s affairs

ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Wednesday called on the judiciary not to interfere in the affairs of parliament in the future, and said the institution’s respect for parliament will be reciprocated.

ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour – participating in the debate on the 18th Amendment Bill in the National Assembly – said parliament was “the supreme institution ... the judiciary will not be allowed to interfere in its affairs”.

Bilour thanked the prime minister, the chairman of the reforms committee and all political parties for supporting provincial autonomy and accepting Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as NWFP’s new name. While parliamentarians tabled various proposals seeking further amendments before final approval for the 18th Amendment Bill, they expressed confidence in the document. The PML-N fully supported the proposed bill, and asked President Asif Ali Zardari to fulfil his promise of handing over powers to the prime minister and parliament.

About provincial autonomy, the PML-N’s Abdul Qair Baloch said Balochistan must be given its due rights over the seashore and natural resources. “The Balochistan issue was not presented to the constitutional committee in its true spirit.”

Syed Nisar Ali Shah of the PML-N congratulated parliament and the nation over the tabling of the bill. Asfandyar Wali said provincial autonomy was the basis of the 18th Amendment.

Farooq Sattar of the MQM said provincial autonomy was incomplete if provinces were not given financial authority in running their affairs. The MQM also criticised the quota system, saying it was not in line with the system of merit in place in the rest of the world.

While the ANP thanked the constitutional reforms committee “for renaming NWFP”, the PML-Q criticised the committee’s choice of the new name. A PML-Q lawmaker even walked out of the House in protest at the decision to rename NWFP.

Riaz Pirzada, chief whip of the former ruling party, proposed that Hazara division be named as a new province because of “locals’ strike against the decision to rename NWFP”. “The amendments are the result of collective wisdom and it is good that a consensus was developed on all the amendments, but the government should hear the locals of Hazara,” he said.

Marvi Memon also opposed the decision to rename the province, and demanded that Gilgit-Baltistan be given the status of a province. She also sought seats for Gilgit-Baltistan representatives in the Senate and the National Assembly.