LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh president Nisar Khuhro has said that under obtaining conditions it is inevitable to establish a Federal Constitutional Court to reduce burden of cases on Supreme Court and besides, when Federal Shariat Court can be established why not the constitutional court.

Khuhro said at a press conference at Larkana Press Club on Saturday that he appealed to all political parties to lend a helping hand to PPP in this regard. His party’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was busy meeting with leaders of political parties, including the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fzl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to hammer out consensus and have the amendment passed by two thirds majority, he said.

He was of the opinion that the constitutional court would not only reduce burden of cases but also strengthen judicial system. Supreme Court was not a trial court and it could only hear appeals, he said.

Asked when PPP was in power and had two thirds majority why had it not established the constitutional court then, Khuhro said the party was focused on bringing in 18th Amendment.

Still, he complained that certain subjects as recommended in 18th Amendment had not been decentralised for which Mr Bhutto-Zardari had been raising voice time and again, he added.

He said that certain moves were made to tamper with the 18th Amendment but it was PPP that had opposed it tooth and nail and refused to roll it back in unequivocal terms.

About proposed amendments to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act he said that PPP had fought a prolonged war for just share of irrigation water and finally arrived at water apportionment accord-1991.

He termed the Irsa Act ‘dangerous’ as it was completely silent on releasing ‘volume’ of water downstream Kotri. “Under ambiguous impression regarding the explanation of Article 6 of the Irsa Act, the Kalabagh Dam’s construction was imposed on us but with unparalleled struggle Sindh rose against it and now Sindh will not allow any amendment to Irsa Act,” he said.

He called for water distribution in line with the Para-2 of the 1991 accord and referred to the recently passed resolution in Sindh Assembly which rejected carrying out any amendment to Irsa Act.

Khuhro said in answer to queries regarding Public Accounts Committee of Sindh Assembly which he currently chaired, that PAC reviewed ‘audit’ paras raised in the report of Auditor General.

Since its formation, 200 paras out of 2900 were settled in just two months which had been pending since 2017, he added. “I ensured presence of Principal Accounts Officer of the concerned department, which is Secretary, in the meeting and no meeting will be postponed only to maintain the regularity,” he said.

Different departments had admitted that with regular meetings, a 600 per cent rise in revenue recovery was reported, he claimed.

He said in reply to another question regarding ‘transparency’ in recently held MDCAT test that it was a ‘public complaint’ and its right forum was the standing committee concerned of Sindh Assembly that would review if any application was filed.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024