KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday called for a ‘political reset’ to steer the country out of what he described as its worst-ever economic crisis, urging the ruling and opposition parties to set aside their differences and work together.
Warning that the economic situation could deteriorate further amid regional and global uncertainties, Mr Bhutto-Zardari, who is also former foreign minister, invited political parties from both sides of the aisle to find a way forward.
He said Pakistan needed to focus on pressing challenges rather than indulge in ‘unnecessary debates’ and confrontation.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent statement regarding the creation of 12 more provinces revived the debate on administrative units only weeks after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had called for a ‘system reset’ through the creation of new administrative units.
The PPP chairman, who was addressing a ceremony at the CM House to mark the completion of one million houses under the Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affectees project, said, ‘I would describe the current economic situation as a calamity rather than a crisis. It’s the worst-ever crisis ourcountry has faced, and it can further worsen amid the prevailing regional and global situation.
‘To face this growing challenge, we need a political reset.
All political parties, whether in government or opposition, would have to work together.
‘New experiments’ Calling for political consensus, the PPP chairman questioned the need for ‘new experiments’ when the country was confronted with much bigger challenges. ‘The people of this country no longer want to see us fighting each other.
We need to run the country in accordance with the will of the people, not that of any trader in Lahore,’ he said.
He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to first take his coalition partners into confidence and then reach out to the opposition to avoid further confrontation.
Highlighting the housing initiative, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the Sindh government had completed one million houses in three years, creating an equal number of employment opportunities. He credited Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the World Bank and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for supporting the project, saying it had been made possible through a collective response to the devastating floods.
‘Before Shehbaz Sharif, there was another prime minister [Imran Khan]. Sindh was hit by floods during his tenure as well, but we were not given even a single rupee. The former prime minister had even remarked that Sindh did not belong to them. At least Shehbaz Sharif did not make us feel that way,’ the PPP chairman said.
Advocates strong local govts Also, PPP’s Punjab chapter strongly rejected any move towards the creation of new provinces, asserting that forming administrative units will solve neither soaring inflation nor rampant unemployment.
The party insisted that empowering local governments was the real key to resolving public grievances.
Speaking at a news conference here on Tuesday, PPP Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza highlighted that establishing new provinces would neither slash fuel prices nor reduce joblessness. ‘Will the creation of new provincesend unemployment and inflation, or make petrol and LPG cheaper?’ he questioned.
The PPP leader urged the government to focus on delivering justice and relief directly to the public’s doorstep instead of engaging in debates over administrative boundaries.
Flanked by Usman Malik, Ahmad Jawad Rana, and Allama Yousaf Awan, Mr Murtaza voiced serious concern over statements from government representatives suggesting ‘a systemic breakdown’. ‘If the system has indeed collapsed, the government must formally admit this reality,’ the PPP leader stated.
Taking aim at governance priorities, the PPP leader remarked: ‘The administration cannot manage two hospitals in Islamabad, yet there are grand discussions about creating new provinces.’ He cited the historical fallout of past unconstitutional referendums under generals Zia and Musharraf. Any decision on new provinces strictly requires a two-thirds majority in a joint session of parliament,he added.
‘Even if you create 18 provinces instead of 12, failing to follow the constitutional process will only worsen the crisis,’ he warned, adding that Mr BhuttoZardari put a definitive ‘full stop’ to this unnecessary debate, suggesting that if any referendum were to be held, it should focus on public levies instead.
Muttahida backs new units On the other hand, Muttahida Qaumi Movement -Pakistan (MQM-P) has reassured its support to the plan of new provinces.
Defence minister’s remarks come amid reports of a plan to divide Pakistan administratively into 12 provinces through a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment, with a nationwide referendum also being contemplated.
Senior central leader of MQM-P and federal minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said no tactics against him would force him to back down from his stance on creating new provinces. He told a presser in Islamabad that the momentum for estab-lishing new provinces was ‘unstoppable’, adding that those opposing the demand would support it in future.
He reiterated that the demand for new provinces was a vital administrative and public necessity, reaffirming that no amount of pressure will make him abandon this cause.
Separately, PPP (Parliamentarians) Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari said federal ministers were talking about the creation of new provinces. ‘Why don’t these ministers bring the matter before the cabinet for formal discussion?’ he questioned, reminding them that a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament was mandatory for any constitutional amendment.
He emphasised that parliamentary supremacy, constitutional requirements, the rights of federating units and public opinion must remain central to every decision concerning the country’s administrative and constitutional framework.
Amjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this report