MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said his party is fully aware of the importance and characteristics of the 18thAmendment and it cannot repeal it even if it wants to as it lacks two-thirds majority in parliament.

Talking to the media here on Monday, the minister claimed the PPP was playing politics on the constitutional amendment by pretending to be a victim of political victimisation.

“I tried to guide Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari that the PPP is a federal party and it should avoid doing politics of provincialism. I remember the occasions when Benazir Bhutto used to snub him. Instead of playing the ‘Sindh card’, the PPP should play Pakistan card. It should do politics in Sindh as it is its right, while we also don’t need a No-Objection Certificate to do politics in [the province] as it is our right too,” he added.

“The federal cabinet is going to approve an agriculture package of Rs65 billion to facilitate the farming community, as it is the only sector which can bring us out of the economic crisis created because of coronavirus,” he added.

To a question regarding the sugar scandal, the foreign minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan was not compromising over the issue, while the inquiry report will be made public soon.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2020