16 February 2004	Monday	24 Zilhaj 1424

PESHAWAR, Feb 15: The Awami National Party has accused the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal of compromising rights of provinces by agreeing, under its accord with the federal government over the 17th Amendment to the Constitution , to keep local government ordinance under the Sixth schedule up to 2009.

"The MMA's agreement is the last nail in the coffin of the constitutional provisions envisaging provincial autonomy," said Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, ANP's senior vice president.

In a press statement issued here on Sunday, Mr Bilour took exception to the MMA's policies and said that its agreement with the PML-Q over the recently adopted 17th amendment to the Constitution would undermine the provincial autonomy.

The MMA, he added, compromised by letting the district governments to remain in the sixth schedule till 2009. "The MMA has not only effected a sell-out over the issues of supremacy of parliament and democracy under its agreement over the adoption of the 17th amendment to the Constitution, but it has also compromised the provincial autonomy by leaving district governments under the federal government's domain," said Mr Bilour.