ISLAMABAD: Former chairman Senate and senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mian Raza Rabbani on Wednesday regretted that there has been a continued delay in the formation of a new National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for more than a decade.
Speaking at a seminar, he pointed out, in the 18th constitutional amendment, a provision was added to the Constitution that a new NFC Award must not be kept less from the previous NFC Award.
“Today, if the State is against the 18th amendment, it means that the State recognizes that major resources have been shifted to the federating units. And that the federation is lacking that resources required for the defence. That’s why there is a talk to roll back the 18th amendment,” he said.
He emphatically stated that in case of any rollback or any cut in the NFC award, then the federating units may demand that they will collect the taxes which are being done in various countries abroad.
Besides, he said that under Article 156, there should be National Economic Council (NEC) which was established with the purpose to give representations to the provinces so that to be able to bring a national holistic economic policy. “But are also not utilising the NEC in its true spirits,” he regretted.
He further pointed out that Pakistan was created with the vision of a welfare democratic state and Pakistan was supposed to be a parliamentary democracy, but after the death of Quaid-i-Azam, the vision shifted towards a “security or a garrison state”.
With this, he added that the purpose of its creation and the priorities also changed.
“We must talk the facts and if are unable to do so then this nation is doomed. I must say that from the bottom to the top, we are a corrupt nation. Therefore, for our own interest, we look for the shelter of the establishment,” he maintained. Referring to Articles 18, 19 and 25 of the Constitution, he said that no law can be framed in violation of the fundamental rights of the citizens.
“There are different standards of the law here. If you are an elite, you will have to face one law and if you are a civilian and associated with the elite, then you will have to face another law. If you are a wealthy, you will have to face a different law and if a common citizen, you will have a totally different law. This is very unfortunate, but this is fact,” he further maintained.
He stated that the Constitution of 1973 is a consensus document which ensures federalism and empowerment of the federating units.
Rabbani also shed light on the country’s political and constitutional history, saying that experiments of up to 12 types of forms of governments were made from time to time.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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