Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday completed contacting opposition leaders on matters pertaining to the coronavirus, 18th constitutional amendment, and the NFC award.
A joint statement release by Maulana Fazl on the matter stated that all opposition parties, members and leaders had agreed to his advices and suggestions, and would be pursuing the mutually agreed decisions.
The statement reads that all of the opposition will uphold the 18th constitutional amendment and will not let the government change or tweak it in any shape or form.
The statement entails that the opposition leaders would protect the rights promised by the amendment to all the provinces. The statement further reads that the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award would be ensured and protected by the opposition as a united front.
The head of JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the occasion said that the entire opposition is on the same page, when it comes to safeguarding the 18th Amendment and the NFC award.
JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman the other day started telephonic contact with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and discussed with them the evolving political developments in the country, especially the situation arising due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Talking to reporters after his conversation with Shehbaz, Fazl said that the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly had accepted his suggestion for formation of a parliamentary commission to oversee the matters related to the coronavirus outbreak.
Fazl announced that the opposition leaders would not participate in any discussion on the issue until the government forms a monitoring committee of parliamentarians.
He claimed that Shehbaz assured him that he would take all members of the joint opposition on board over the suggestion. In a separate phone call to Bilawal, Fazl discussed with him the government's proposed plan to modify the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
According to reports, Bilawal said that the democratic powers will not compromise on modifications in the 18th Amendment as it had restored the real face of the constitution of Pakistan.
He said that the Centre should prefer assisting the provinces amid coronavirus crisis instead of going ahead with unnecessary modifications in the Constitution. Bhutto Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman had vowed to protect the 18th constitutional amendment.
During a telephonic conversation held between the two leaders about the 18th constitutional amendment, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the democratic forces of Pakistan would never compromise on the 18th constitutional amendment.
He said that democratic parties had restored the constitution of Pakistan to its original form and shape through the 18th constitutional amendment. The PPP chairman made it loud and clear that any attempt to reverse or repeal the 18th constitutional amendment will not be tolerated and the democratic forces would resist any such attempt with full force.