ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Thursday warned the government against taking any step towards reversal of the 18th Amendment, saying the party would resist such a move with full force.

Speaking at a news conference here on Thursday, PPP’s central secretary general Nayyar Bokhari and Punjab’s secretary general Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed also alleged that the government wanted to ban trade union activities in the country.

Mr Bokhari said the ‘selected’ Prime Minister Imran Khan was playing with the foundations of the country. He said the reports regarding the moves to reverse the 18th Amendment were “alarming”, he said, adding that such a step would amount to depriving the nation of its democratic rights.

“The PPP will never tolerate these moves that are being made to abolish the 18th Amendment as it is the PPP’s policy to stand for the rights of the people,” he said, adding that the PPP would always condemn the steps which would be taken to curtail the people’s liberties.

The PPP leaders alleged that former president Asif Zardari was being victimised for being vocal against the government’s move to abolish the 18th Amendment.

They also warned the government against any move to privatise the Pakistan International Airlines. It would be wrong to say that the labour union was responsible for the destruction and poor state of affairs in the national airline, they said.

The PPP leaders said the government was willing to pay Rs2 million to legal advisers for the PIA, but not spending money to purchase new aircraft.

President of the Peoples Unity Hidayatullah Khan and other office-bearers of the union were also present at the news conference.

APP adds: Mr Bokhari said that the 1973 Constitution was unanimously enacted by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but undemocratic forces distorted it during their respective tenures.

In reply to a question, he said that undemocratic clauses were abolished through the 18th Amendment and the credit should be given to the PPP.

Mr Bokhari said the country was passing through a critical economic and political phase and the government did not take steps to improve the economy in the mini-budget.

He said it was for first time in the parliamentary history that the government had presented the budget and prorogued the National Assembly session.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2019