QUETTA: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) president Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has termed the recent boycott of a meeting of the National Economic Council by chief ministers of three provinces confrontation between the centre and the provinces.

Speaking at a function here on Wednesday in which a large number of people from different political parties joined his party, Mr Sherpao said that the PML-N government had involved itself in different issues during its final days.

He said the government had ignored the problems of the less populous provinces which had caused confrontation between the federation and its three units. “It is not good for the country,” he said, adding that a consensus formula should be evolved for resolving the issues.

He said that efforts were under way in Islamabad to roll back the 18th Amendment under which the provinces were given enough powers and 50 per cent control over their natural resources, including oil and gas.

“Any attempt to roll back the 18th Amendment would be resisted with full force,” Mr Sherpao warned.

He said his party would oppose creation of new provinces on an administrative basis, but would support the move on the basis of nationalities.

Mr Sherpao underlined the need for a new social contract between the federation and its units for resolving the issues. “Pakistan does not belong only to Punjab, it belongs to all the four provinces,” he said.

He said that the honour of some political parties was damaged in the Senate elections.

The QWP president said peace must be restored in Pakistan and Afghanistan for complete peace in the region.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2018