Khuhro Rejects Rollback of 18th Amendment
PPP Sindh President Calls on Federal Government to Restore Rice Export Corporation and Protect Farmers
By Nazir Siyal
KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has strongly opposed any attempt to roll back the 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying that the Constitution cannot be altered unilaterally.
He also rejected rumors about the formation of new provinces and urged the federal government to fix the support price for paddy and rice per maund while restoring the Rice Export Corporation (RECP).
Addressing a press conference at his office in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday, accompanied by PAC member Qasim Soomro, Khuhro emphasized that the 18th Amendment was passed with national consensus through a committee representing all parties, and even dictators had failed to revoke it.
He clarified that the 27th Amendment’s final draft has not yet been presented to the PPP, adding that Prime Minister-led discussions with Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari only touched upon select points. The party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting on November 6 will decide the PPP’s stance on the issue.
Khuhro criticized the federal government for neglecting the agriculture sector, noting that farmers in Sindh have been protesting due to the absence of a fixed support price for paddy and rice for the past two years. He warned that this delay is leading to the economic exploitation of growers, as prices have dropped from Rs 3,200 to Rs 2,200 per maund, while fertilizer prices and input costs have skyrocketed.
He further demanded the revival of RECP to facilitate exports and ensure fair returns for farmers, stressing that “agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, yet the sector is being ignored under IMF pressure.”
Speaking on the RBOD-II project, Khuhro lamented that despite spending Rs 42 billion, the project remains incomplete since its launch in 2002. He urged both the federal and Sindh governments to immediately resume work on this vital drainage project.
On the E-Challan system, he remarked that while it is successfully implemented worldwide, citizens should understand that stricter fines are meant to ensure traffic discipline, not to burden them.
Khuhro concluded by reaffirming PPP’s commitment to protecting provincial rights, saying, “The 18th Amendment is the guarantee of Pakistan’s federal structure٫ we will not let anyone weaken it.”
