KARACHI: Reacting to the suggestion of invoking Article 149 (4) by the federation, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem had presented a plan to take over Karachi.
“We will not let them confiscate resources of Sindh. An attempt is being made to ruin the province,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said while addressing a press conference in Karachi.
Farogh Naseem has hinted that the federal government could invoke Article 149 (4) of the Constitution in Sindh, particularly Karachi.
He said viewing the exacerbating situation of Karachi it was necessary that the centre intervene for betterment of the megalopolis.
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Bilawal Zardari said the dictators had long been assaulting the 18th Amendment. Because of incompetency of the federation the provinces were going bankrupt, he said adding that the PPP would no more let this “undemocratic government” run.
He said his party had rehabilitated the constitution by fighting the dictators.
The PPP chief wondered if the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-P also had the same decision about Karachi that it be run from the federal capital. He requested all the political leaders to give their opinion whether they were with the undemocratic government or against it.
The law minister had clarified that the Article 149 (4) of the constitution neither talked about the governor rule nor any emergency rather it was an independent Article which empowered the federal government to give directions to any provincial government if there was a mismanagement in the matters of peace, tranquility and economy.
Article 149 (4) states, “The executive authority of the Federation shall also extend to the giving of directions to a Province as to the manner in which the executive authority thereof is to be exercised for the purpose of preventing any grave menace to the peace or tranquility or economic life of Pakistan or any part thereof.”
