• Bilawal says that the federal government has not approached him in amendment 27
• Emphasizes that Pakistan needs a modernized irrigation system instead of channels
Hyderabad: The president of the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, demanded a new prize of the National Finance Commission (NFC) on Tuesday in the light of amendment 18 presented in 2010, which converted several departments and ministries from the center to the provinces.
Speaking to journalists at a media conference held at the recently renewed Niaz stadium after inaugurating the Khan Bahadur Hassan Ali Effendi Pouts in Qasimabad, the head of the PPP said that the previous NFC prize preceded the 18th amendment and since several departments were transferred to the provinces with responsibilities, the resources should also be aligned.
“A new NFC must be formed and the award must be announced immediately according to the constitutional provision,” he said. “It is the incompetence of the Federal Revenue Board that does not collect income, and this burden cannot be shared by the provinces. It is the fault of the Babus (civil officials) of Islamabad.
He said that Baluchistan was experiencing a ‘hybrid war’ and the staff of federal institutions were deployed there to combat terrorism, and added that there was a concept of hearts and winning minds in the world because some wars could not fight only with weapons. “Therefore, the federal government should speak with the provinces and find a new NFC with consensus,” he added.
Speaking about the rumored 27 amendment, the president of the PPP said that his party had not been approached by the Government. “Neither the prime minister nor any federal minister have approached us with amendment proposals,” he said when he was asked to comment on the speculation surrounding the alleged amendment.
“Estoy escuchando cosas sobre la 27ª Enmienda, pero ni el primer ministro ni ningún ministro federal discutieron conmigo ninguna enmienda. La Enmienda 26 (aprobada el año pasado) fue un producto de la comprensión política entre las partes parlamentarias; aunque una de las partes se diferenciaba debido a sus aldeas personales. PPP admitió un terreno al garantizar esta enmienda debería superar a través de la parlamentación en lugar de ir a la mayoría de la mayoría de la bruta.
IWT Treaty
On the Treaty of the Waters of the Indo (IWT), he said that India was still staggering his defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the May conflict and that is why he reacted cowardly by announcing the ‘unilateral suspension’ of the IWT.
It should be noted that New Delhi kept the IWT in suspense after Pahalgam attack on April 22 and then doubled in his action, saying that “he would never restore” the treaty.
He said he raised his voice on the issue of IWT and terrorism. He said that India will have to release water for three rivers, which fails, what Pakistan, being the lower riverside, would demand his right to six rivers.
“The whole country should raise its voice against the attack of Modi (of India) against IWT,” he said, while emphasizing the need for a modern irrigation system. Pakistan needed a modernized irrigation system, since the states considered the dams and channels that had surplus water. “Pakistan has no surplus flows and we need to use the flows available efficiently,” he added.
The PPP leader also thanked the president of the United States for slapping the highest tariffs in the history of the United States against India following his own commercial war. “Since the United States is not pressing for ‘doing more,’ Pakistan should capitalize as much as possible,” he said. After Pakistan’s victory over India, military leadership won an advantage and this victory was guiding Pakistan’s current speech, he added.
Bhutto-Zardari said that the health of democracy in Pakistan was not encouraging due to repeated martial laws. “Even a weakened democracy is due to the sacrifices of the leaders of the PPP. We want the institutions to remain in their limits and only then can we withdraw other institutions in their domain …”, he said. But on May 9, certain forces crossed their own limits, he added.
He affirmed that the Higher Education Commission obtained most of the cuts in the budget, whether the holder or the PTI government, but Sindh released coincident funds to keep the HA alive, assuming federal and provincial responsibilities. He added that the PPP wanted a university in each district. He agreed with a journalist in which Hyderabad airport should be functional, saying that he would discuss it with the prime minister because Air Sial was launched in Punjab and that an airport was built. He said that if the federal government did not agree with its proposal, then the government of Sindh would consider launching Air Hyderabad. He regretted that even Moenjo Daro airport remained dysfunctional.
Posted in Dawn, August 13, 2025
