Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan has said that the government would not totally abolish the 17th amendment as certain clauses of the constitutional amendment must be retained for smooth running of democracy.
The federal minister said this here on Saturday while talking to reporters after attending a ceremony in which the forms of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) were distributed. The political parties would need to support each other in repealing certain clauses of the amendment that were passed by the previous parliament to give more powers including the dissolution of the parliament to President.
"Individually, no party can bring any change. The political forces will have to act jointly for this purpose," said Babar Awan. The minister rejected the reports suggesting differences between the Prime Minister and the President. These reports are based on just rumours. There is absolutely no substance in them, he added.
The Federal Minister pointed out that Benazir Income Support Programme is the largest support programme in Pakistan. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is the party of poor and unprivileged. He said that the present government would leave no stone unturned to provide relief to the masses.