ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: The People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) has criticized the government for establishing what it called a “financial one unit” endangering the country’s stability and provincial harmony.

Speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Chaudhry Manzoor, Tasneem Qureshi, Enver Baig and Farhatullah Babar lashed out at the government for “creating hatred among the provinces by grabbing all their financial rights” through the Controller General of Accounts Ordinance, 2001.

PPP secretary general Raja Pervaiz Ashraf asked the government to repeal the ordinance as it was an encroachment on provincial autonomy.

Mr Ashraf said the ordinance had deprived all the provinces of their financial rights by giving powers to deal with all financial matters to a grade-22 employee.

Mr Manzoor said the ordinance was a violation of the 1973 Constitution. He said under Article 119 of the Constitution, all provinces had the powers and rights to chalk out policies regarding financial matters.