UNDOING THE 18TH AMENDMENT

It is the oldest trick in the book of politics, and because of the clumsiness of the government and the wiliness of the opposition, it could yet work. Ahead of what is expected to be a stormy session of the National Assembly today, former president and PPP supremo Asif Zardari has ired a shot across the bow of the PTI federal government. Linking the investigations and arrests of PPP igures to a federal conspiracy to undo the 18th Amendment, Zardari has warned that any manoeuvres to unravel the historic achievement of his presidency will not succeed. Though somewhat undermining his own argument, Zardari also pointed out that it is not up to him to undo the 18th Amendment — to re-amend the Constitution and restore the pre-18th Amendment division of subjects and iscal shares would require a parliamentary super majority. At least two points need to be made here. First, whatever Zardari’s motivations in making his latest accusation, it remains true that there are powerful federal forces arrayed against the 18th Amendment. In the main, the argument — which is weak and should not be countenanced — against the 18th Amendment is twofold: it has diverted excessive iscal resources towards the provinces and effectively starved the centre; and it has delegated too many powers and legislative subjects to the provinces, preventing a rationalisation of policy in key areas nationally.