Pakistan: 18th amendment still not implemented: Raza Rabbani

Senator Raza Rabbani, senior leader Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Sunday regretted that despite passage of three years the 18th amendment of the constitution has still not been implemented and called for restoration of provincial autonomy. Addressing a press conference here, Raza Rabbani said any attempt to rollback the 18th amendment would go against the Federal government and the small provinces would never accept such a move. He said the statements on the 18th amendment by the Federal Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are condemnable. “We want the Federation to devolve the Ministry of Health and Education to the provinces,” he asserted, adding, “we wanted to give the government a 100-day honey-moon period but now consultations will be held after the Eid over talks of 18th amendment’s rollback”. He hoped that the governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan would also give their reaction to the issue.