PESHAWAR: Just a day after the ruling party was criticised over the issue of missing persons, alleged attempts to roll back the 18th Amendment and the failure to keep its promise of a new province, President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday claimed that discussion among the prime minister, the chief of the army staff and the judiciary was under way to resolve the issue of missing persons and denied that the government was in favour of undoing the 18th Amendment.

“We should look into this phenomenal issue to ascertain that where these people (missing) have gone, who picked them etc,” said President Alvi while addressing a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor House.

According to president, southern Punjab province is a bigger task than KP-Fata merger

“Discussion is under way among the prime minister, army chief and judiciary to address this issue, which requires attention and transparency,” asserted the president, who was accompanied by Governor Shah Farman and provincial information minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai.

Before forming the government in August, Dr Alvi said, he personally had made a commitment with Balochistan National Party chairman Sardar Akhtar Mengal that the issue of missing persons would be resolved and had sought his cooperation in this regard.

Responding to a question, the president dispelled the impression that the ruling party was in favour of rolling back the 18th Amendment. One component of the 18th Amendment was to build capacity of the provinces after devolving subjects to them, he said.

Only a day back the PPP chairman while carrying out a detailed examination of the 100-day performance of the PTI government had reminded the ruling party of its promises, including those related to missing persons and creation of a separate province, and declared that the opposition party would not allow attempts to roll back the 18th Amendment to succeed.

Asked if he would play his role to defuse tension between the government and opposition at the Centre, President Alvi said the government should not be very reactive towards the opposition. He said he had held a discussion with Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet members and advised them to focus on their work instead of engaging in a war of words. “I have suggested that instead of engaging in a war of words with the opposition the government should undertake some work that can generate debate,” he said.

Dr Alvi announced that he would activate his office in the National Assembly. He said he was not in favour of a presidential form of government. Pakistan had experienced parliamentary form of government but the existing system needed improvement, he said, adding that the government did not have the two-thirds majority to change the current system. “Every system depends upon people. If people are good the system is also good,” he remarked.

About the Fata-KP merger, the president said the KP government was looking for Rs100 billion financing from the Centre. He said that polls for the KP assembly in seven tribal districts would be held before May 2019. He said that Rs1 trillion would be utilised on reconstruction and rehabilitation work in these districts in next 10 years in addition to increasing three per cent share of KP in the National Finance Commission Award. Establishment of infrastructure for lower courts and magistrates was a major task for the government, he said. However, he announced that Levies and Khasadars forces in the merged districts would not be abolished.

Explaining the reasons for delay in creating a separate province in Punjab, Dr Alvi said that southern Punjab province was a bigger task than the merger of Fata and KP.

About the Peshawar BRT project, the president said the government would complete the project by June 2019. He also announced that the government would create 30,000 more jobs to recruit local people in police.

Dr Alvi said he was also briefed about the plan for exploration of tourism sector in the province and the department concerned had identified 20 new areas in this regard. He said the government should not allow uncontrolled and unplanned construction in tourist attraction areas of the province. He said that ill-planned construction had damaged natural beauty of Murree hills and other areas.

Earlier, the president visited the Bilour House to condole the demise of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haroon Bilour, who was killed on July 10 in a blast during a party meeting in Peshawar. Dr Alvi offered fateha for Haroon Bilour and met Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Haroon’s widow MPA Samer Bilour.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2018