18th Amendment only way forward for democracy in Pakistan: Bilawal.

KARACHI: Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday said the 18th Amendment is the only way forward to ensure the rights of the smaller provinces.

Speaking at a dialogue on '18th Amendment and Federalism' at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Bilawal said Pakistan is a country where people from diverse backgrounds live and therefore federalism is the system which suits it the best. "We tried One Unit as well but unfortunately we lost half of our country," he said.

The PPP chairman said after the dictatorship of General Ziaul Haq, Pakistan's constitution had the name of a dictator in it. "So it was in 2010 when we achieved consensus and all democratic parties played role in the passage of the 18th Amendment," he said. "No one else could do it as lots of political parties and dictators tried to reach that consensus even through handpicked parliaments," he said, adding that along with 1973, year 2008 was also a traumatic year for Pakistan. "In 2008, the entire country was facing terrorist attacks and my own mother was assassinated. I think such traumas encouraged political parties to sit together and reach a consensus," he said.

When asked about the most important changes that the 18th Amendment brought, he said the right to education, right to information and the right to fair trial were not part of constitutional rights until the amendment was introduced." Restoration of parliamentary supremacy, along with that the 18th Amendment, offered a fairer system of appointing judges in Pakistan which included a parliamentary committee, with members of the government and opposition and reputable members of bar associations," he said. Bilawal said the passing of 19th Amendment was "frankly caused by the judiciary blackmailing the government, as had we not done that, the entire 18th Amendment would have been called into question."

"This unfortunately does not move us far away enough from a judicial system of appointment that forms a judiciary, of the judiciary, by the judiciary. It's a fallacy that the bureaucrats in Islamabad are in a better position than those that are closer to the people that elect them. Can we say that labour rights, education and healthcare pre-18th Amendment were in a better position than today," he asked.

According to the PPP...