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With majority consensus Pakistan’s democratically elected parliament has finally been able to pass a long awaited 18th amendment that not only clips presidential powers but ensures greater powers for the parliament as well. Apparently a win-win situation for all the political parties and nation at large, the same 18th amendment reduce tensions between the central government and the provinces over the distribution of authority and revenues date back to Pakistan’s inception and have prompted some of its most traumatic upheavals, most prominently the secession of Bangladesh and long standing retaliation in Balochistan.
It has widely been perceived that 18th amendment has finally closed dictator’s doors for good and Pakistanis are united under it.
During entire process of brainstorming and getting the amendment approved from parliament the Pashtoon nationalist party ANP has also succeeded to rename NWFP province as Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa, to which they consider as “historical victory”.
ANP as they claim themselves ” Son of the soil” since came into power have not started even a single project in their crises stricken province. Pakhtoons are confronted with very banter situation of various kinds including loadshedding that surpasses more than 14 hours a day, unemployment, law and order situation and above all the lethal war against terrorism that left thousands of residents homeless.
Current provincial Government is doing nothing for development in Peshawar and adjoining areas for the last two years and is only busy in either quarreling on Eid Crescents or playing Identity politics, despite promises to construct roads, underpasses and over-head bridges at various places in Peshawar, so far, not a single brick has been placed.
Surprisingly in parliament nobody has raised voiced against ANP’s zero-performance in NWFP, the opposition and government are engaged in settling their scores in Islamabad and turned a blind eye towards the deprived province, somehow other two provinces have managed to initiate constructive projects. Even for Balochistan a comprehensive package is arranged but what NWFP is offered? A mere rebranding ?
Pakhtoon masses were already oppressed; just a name change would never serve purpose. Unfortunately all political forces including “establishment” have supported ANP’s non sensical cause so that the party give same tranquilizer to people of their province and don’t let them demand more.
It was well understood by the establishment that renaming was the only readily available Gift for the people of NWFP that might shut Pakhtoons’ voices for at least a year or so. To achieve their vicious objective federal Government had even given free hand to the ANP in Hazara that claimed 10 precious lives without any inquiry against culprits.
In this entire 18th amendment episode Pakhtoons have ended up on being the biggest losers as they got nothing but just peanuts.
you may read rest of my entries on http://tanzeel.wordpress.com
Hey tanzeel, you see the glass half empty when it is more than half full.
The current government has launched the biggest project that is cleansing of fundamentalism from the province. Survival trumps necessities, and this is a question of survival.
The renaming of the province was a bad idea, atleast a referendum should have taken place. Also the 18th Amendment has some good points bt is has mostly major flaws and goes against democracy and the spirit of the constitution by encouraging party dictatorship, political control of judges appointments and other things. Because of this curropt PPP government the Pakistani people got nothing bt peanuts, not even that, things are worse than ever.
@Saad: I totally disagree with you, we are doing good against the militants but that is full credit to Gen Kayani. The Army is great and have performed well, the civilian government is incompetnet nd curropt. My friend the size of the glass is much larger than you think.
The 18th amendment has clipped the powers of the President and supreme court is going to clip the powers of the parliament.The Chief Justice has frquently been reported to have remarked that the parliment cannot bring an ammendment into the Constitution which, in the opinion of the judiciary, may change the basic structure of the Constitution . What is the so called basic structure, naturally the judiciary will like to dictate. IT is baffling situation,if the Supreme Court has extraordinary powers to question an amendment into the Constitution, which had been passed by the Parliament with two third majority of its total membership, the parliament, practically becomes useless.The Article about aendment into the constitution very clear. All those who wish to disagree must go throught relevent provisions of the Constitution.It is the many pakistanis are in the habit of excessively glorifying the Army fully knowing, that it had in contravention of the Constuttion and their own oath,frequently toppled the civil governments.We must remember that East Pakistan had seceded during military rule. The Army is not doing anything more than what it is supposed to do.It is time to make the Army also accountable; no one should be above law.