PESHAWAR, June 29: The Awami National Party has rejected the constitutional amendments proposed by the government and termed the package as anti-Pakistan move on the part of rulers.

Speaking at a press conference here at the residence of Bashir Bilour, the ANP provincial vice-president, Mr Khan said it was anti- democratic and anti-federation package which would bring disaster to the country.

The rulers were repeating the mistakes done by Ayub Khan, which culminated into the dismemberment of the country, he said, and added that the ANP would take this matter to the Supreme Court as it was an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution, he added.

He said the supreme court had allowed rulers to bring changes for the betterment of the system and not for destroying the federal  parliamentary  system,  the very  spirit  of  the Constitution.

The government was also committing contempt of the court by doing away with the parliamentary form of government, he added.

The government, Mr Khan said, by introducing the proposed reforms, prime minister would be mere a show-piece.

The present political stagnation, he said, was a logical result of the government policies which never allowed the political parties to keep the political process alive. The government was responsible for the present vacuum, he added.

The condition of bagging five per cent votes was a conspiracy to strengthen the hold of the big province on smaller ones. The ANP had been struggling for the equal rights of federating units and it had been opposed to the strong centre, he added.

“We support strong Pakistan, not strong centre. Pakistan will get strength when its all federating units will be given complete autonomy,” he added.

Answering a question, he said government had nothing to do with the elections in political parties. “We are responsible people, we do hold our party elections regularly. We are not answerable to the government,” he added.

The ANP, he said, had supported the government policies on the fundamentalism, sectarianism, terrorism and Kashmir issue, but they were deadly opposed to the constitutional package. “We react on issues and not on individual’s personality,” he added.

He denied that the rulers wanted to seek public opinion on the amendments which aimed at changing the very spirit of the Constitution.

Mr Khan said it was the sole right of political parties to nominate leader of the house and president could not deprive them from this right. “This amendment will deprive the provinces of their nominal autonomy,” he added.

The ANP provincial chief, Begum Nasim Wali Khan also spoke.