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KARACHI, Nov 17 (APP):Federal Minister for National Health Services, Syed Mustafa Kamal on Monday expressed confidence that the constitutional solution for securing people’s rights is not dead and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P)’s proposals regarding local government would be incorporated in the next constitutional amendment soon.
Addressing a press conference here, he expressed gratitude to the parties in the federal cabinet including PML-N, and others for supporting MQM-P’s proposed changes in the constitutional amendment.
He said that the constitutional solution for securing countrymen’s rights is not dead. Just as it was alive during the 26th Amendment, it is not dead today; it is still alive, and we have kept it alive. Today, this issue has reached this point. In the coming months, the people will see that for the first time in 75 years, this constitutional amendment will come before the Pakistani people, it will be approved in the assembly, and powers and resources will reach the doorstep of the people.
He said that several years ago, when elections were not even on the horizon, MQM Pakistan not only devised a constitutional solution for Pakistan’s current problems and the challenges facing future generations but also made it public.
We did not keep it to ourselves. We invited various political parties of Pakistan for brainstorming sessions; we didn’t just go to them, we called them. After that, we went door-to-door, knocking on people’s doors, and approached other parties.
He said that after the elections, when we were offered to join the government, MQM-P joined based on a single point. When the largest political party in Pakistan, which was forming the government, invited us to join, we agreed in 2024 on the condition of one single point in the agreement: that whenever the opportunity arises, it will support MQM-P’s constitutional amendment bill with its numbers.
He said that subsequently, after joining the government, when the opportunity for the 26th Constitutional Amendment arose, MQM-P presented its bill. Our numbers are very few, yet with our limited numbers, we presented MQM’s constitutional amendment bill in the Assembly during the 26th Amendment session. It was presented and then sent to the Standing Committee.
At that time, the major parties requested us, stating that the current situation were not conducive for them to gather support from all parties for this bill at that moment. They asked us to postpone it for a future amendment. Consequently, our bill remained stuck in the Law and Justice Standing Committee, he said.
He said that when the time for the 27th Constitutional Amendment arrived. On this occasion, MQM-P’s sole focus was that we must devolve powers and resources to the doorstep of countrymen. During the 27th Constitutional Amendment process as well, we spoke only about this one issue.
Syed Mustafa Kamal said that when the 27th Amendment was presented and moved to the Senate, MQM’s bill was clubbed with it. For two days, debates were held. A day and a half was spent on other points, and a full half-day—over six hours—was dedicated specifically to debating MQM-P’s constitutional amendment bill. We had the required numbers in our favor. Javed Hanif, Hafeez Sahib, and Hassan Sabir—these three led by Javed Hanif were representing MQM.
The Federal Minister said that he is profoundly grateful, on behalf of MQM-P, to the Prime Minister, the Federal Cabinet, PML-N, Aleem Khan, Chaudhry Salik, the leaders of our BAP party, and to members of the cabinet from allied parties. He said he is also thankful to individual friends in the People’s Party, many friends in PTI, and Amir Muqam. All of them supported, openly and unanimously, the inclusion of MQM-P’s proposals in the 27th Constitutional Amendment.