Sherry Rehman Says Parliament Under Attack As Govt Attempting To Rollback 18th Amendment

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Sherry Rehman has said that parliament is ‘under attack’ as the federal government is attempting to ‘rollback’ 18^th amendment.

Sherry Rehman, while addressing the Upper House on Monday, said that for the last three to four months, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders were giving mixed statements regarding 18^th amendment, but now it has become clear that the government wants to ‘rollback’ 18^th amendment.

https://twitter.com/srehmanoffice/status/1282573007857295360?s=21

“It’s an attack on the rights of the people and on the heart of the constitution. It’s the 1973 constitution that is holding this country together. In the past, the poor relationship between centre and provinces disintegrated the country,” she said.

The PPP parliamentary leader expressed these views in response to a bill tabled by Senator Barrister Muhammad Saif, proposing a constitutional amendment to the National Finance Commission. The Senate session on Monday rejected the bill as it gained 17 votes in favour while 25 against it to be tabled before the Lower House of the parliament.

The ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) voted in favour of the bill. Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) voted against it.

Barrister Saif, who presented the motion before the Upper House of the parliament, said that the expenses of the Centre were rising yet its share from the award had decreased.