PESHAWAR, Dec 15: The NWFP government has vowed to defend the Hasba bill before the Supreme Court. It has also accused the federal government of triggering “political instability” by challenging the bill’s constitutional status in the apex court.

The federal government’s move had taken the provincial government by surprise, said NWFP Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai on Friday while commenting on a reference filed by President Musharraf against the bill in the Supreme Court.

Mr Daudzai told Dawn by telephone that under the Constitution, the provincial assembly was empowered to enact laws. It was the legal and constitutional right of the MMA to legislate for the welfare of the people.

“We had respected the Supreme Court verdict earlier and will respect it again, but the provincial government will defend its constitutional right in the apex court,” he remarked. Mr Daudzai said the provincial government had followed directives of the Supreme Court and removed the clauses from the bill which had been declared ultra vires to the Constitution by the court last year.

“There was now absolutely no reason for the federal government to again move the Supreme Court as all the objectionable portions had already been removed from the bill,” he added. The federal government wanted to destabilise the democratic institutions through such tactics, he added.