The arm-twisting of the ruling PPP by its coalition partners continues unabated as an ANP member told Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday that his party would have to reconsider future cooperation with the ruling party if the government did not implement the 18th Amendment in its true spirit, referring clearly to the rumours that the government was considering deferring the devolution process as some PML-Q ministers were pressurising the government to not devolve their ministries.
Gilani told Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to form a core committee comprising PPP and ANP members in order to restore law and order to Karachi and remove the trust deficit between the two coalition partners. ANP Senior Vice President Haji Adeel said the directive was given during the meeting of Gilani with the ANP delegation here. Adeel said if the government did not implement the 18th Amendment, his party would have to reconsider future cooperation with the PPP.
He said his delegation told the prime minister that Karachi should be rid of weapons and the government should cleanse the city of mafias. Gilani said the government had made serious efforts to improve governance through constitutional and administrative reforms such as the 18th and 19th Amendments and the NFC Award. The premier said the government was committed to implementing the 18th Amendment and the devolution plan.
He assured the ANP delegation that the government would make every effort to resolve the problems of the coalition partners.
