ANP threatens to take hard stance on formation of new provinces

In another blow to the ruling PPP amidst the rising tensions with the judiciary and the military, the Awami National Party (ANP) Wednesday threatened to take hard stance in case the National Assembly starts a debate over the issue.

“The party will approach the apex court even if the speaker submits a resolution for debate in the house,” ANP’s Senior Vice-President Senator HaJI Adeel said this while addressing a news conference.

According to the Constitution, he said that a new province could not be created in the country even the concerned provincial assembly endorsed it with majority.

No bill or the resolution, Adeel explained, could be admitted by the NA speaker or the chairman Senate for the debate with regard to formation of new provinces in parliament.

The ANP leader expressed concerns saying that Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi might admit the constitutional bill or resolution for further progress when it will be presented as he was favouring the Seraiki province.

“We will go all against the government and Kundi if they try to proceed on these resolutions,” Adeel vowed adding that the constitution only reads about altering the limits of existing provinces.

He went to say that his party did not blackmail the ruling PPP like others allies did during the last four years but now they would be standing against each other in the court if the Constitution was being violated.

Rejecting the demand of Hazara and FATA provinces, he felt the MQM was trying to create differences among the Pakhtuns living in the region.

ANP’s Spokesperson Senator Zahid Khan requested Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to reopen the cases against the MQM leaders and workers closed under NRO.

“Why only President Asif Ali Zardari is being targeted in NRO cases,” Khan wondered adding that more than 8,000 other persons also got benefits of NRO.

Cases of murders and other severe crimes were also pending against Altaf Hussain, Governor Ishrat ul Ebad, Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghauri, Waseem Akhtar and other hundreds of MQM’s associates but court was silent against them, he observed.

“The Supreme Court should issue orders to lower courts for restarting the proceedings of cases against the people who have occupied Karachi,” the ANP demanded.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Jan 12 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.