ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has that recent statements of the government are an attempt to roll back the historic 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Speaking to reporters outside the National Assembly, the PPP chairman also lashed at attempts by the federal information minister to make provincial ministers subservient to him.
“This is a result of the creeping assault on the 18th Amendment and also on the freedom of the press,” he said, endorsing a statement by the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS).
He said the government should clarify its position as it claims to not be against the 18th Amendment but its statements and actions seem to be rollback of the constitutional amendment.
Bilawal also criticised the recently passed mini budget by the government and said that it does not provide any relief to the poor.
“There has been injustice to the poor in the mini budget. If there is any benefit then it has gone to the rich, black marketeers, non-tax filers, and the ATMs of Khan, but none to the poor people,” he said.
He said the PPP government had high standards of accountability and even offered the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee to then opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
However, he said the incumbent government is hesitating from providing the chairmanship of the PAC to the opposition as it does not want to held accountable and the PPP will strongly oppose it.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan should respect the freedom of the press and media as he may not even be prime minister if he had not received media exposure provided by previous democratic governments.
He maintained the Imran Khan should guarantee freedom of speech and expression, which is not just the responsibility of the opposition, but is their right as a democratic country.
He added that mini budget as a ‘mini drama’ and hoped that government would do a better job when it presents a full budget next year.
In response to a question, the PPP chairman said that there was a ‘selected’ prime minister and information minister, and it was not unusual for democratic parties to receive threats.
