ISLAMABAD: Amid reports regarding a possible new constitutional amendment that could reverse certain powers devolved to the provinces, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party on Tuesday said the party had not received any draft related to the proposed 28th Amendment.
Speaking at a press conference held to brief the media on President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent visit to China, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla stated that it was “premature” to comment on the issue because no formal proposal or draft had yet been shared with the party.
His remarks were in line with earlier comments made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who had also said that the PPP was unaware of any such development. According to Bilawal, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had not approached President Zardari regarding the matter either.
Meanwhile, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar recently clarified that no constitutional amendment would be introduced without consultation with coalition partners in the government.
Apart from Senator Mandviwalla, President’s spokesperson Murtaza Solangi and Presidency Press Secretary Daniyal Gillani also attended the press conference.
During the briefing, officials shared details of President Zardari’s visit to China, stating that five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and one agreement were signed between the two countries. The agreements covered several sectors, including defence, agriculture, healthcare, industrial cooperation, and technology.
Mr Solangi highlighted the commissioning ceremony of the Pakistan Navy’s first Hangor-class submarine in Sanya, describing its strategic importance as comparable to the joint Pakistan-China JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft project. He also mentioned the president’s visit to Shaoshan in Hunan province, the hometown of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
Senator Mandviwalla also announced a new cultural initiative aimed at promoting Pakistani films and television productions in China. He revealed that the Pakistani blockbuster The Legend of Maula Jatt would be commercially released in China on May 21 and 22.
Discussing the agreements signed during the visit, the senator said one MoU focused on seawater desalination and involved plans to establish a five million gallons per day desalination plant to help address Karachi’s growing water shortage.
He further stated that another agreement on agricultural technology cooperation had been signed with one of China’s largest tea companies to strengthen collaboration in the agriculture sector.