ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has dispelled talk about the establishment of the presidential form of government in the country as rumours.

Talking to journalists here on Sunday, he said it was “a non-issue” being discussed only on social media.

Mr Chaudhry said: “Such things were circulating in social media only. It is difficult to get simple amendments in laws and routine matters take long, so how can we expect a major change in the Constitution that requires a two-thirds majority in parliament.”

The minister said one prerequisite for the presidential form of government was to have small but many provinces in the country.

“We have 62 per cent of the country in Punjab only, how can this system perform in the Pakistan of today,” he said. “Besides you all know legal and political difficulties in creating new provinces, so it is practically not possible.”

A large number of social media activists are talking in favour of introducing the presidential form of government in the country, but none of them have provided its benefit. The system is prevailing in the US, France and Iran.

However, some activists referred to the economic growth achieved by the country during the era of Gen Ayub Khan, Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen Pervez Musharraf.

One activist posted on his twitter account a letter of the Quaid-i-Azam, claiming that Mr Jinnah too preferred the presidential form of government for Pakistan against the parliamentary form of democracy that has been successful only in England.

None of the politicians have supported the idea of introducing the presidential form of government in social or mainstream media.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2019