PPP Attacks PML-N over Highhandedness over the Issue of Maritime Authority, Demands Early CCI Meet
The Pakistan Peoples Party, on Monday attacked the PML-N leadership accusing them of neglecting the procedure followed in the Constitution and bypassing it in every maritime authority-related issue by calling for an immediate convening of the Council of Common Interests.
The recent decision of the PML-N-led government with regard to the establishment of maritime authority has very strong opposition from the Pakistan Peoples Party. According to them, the move ignores basic constitutional provisions in the manner it completely downgrades the role of the Council of Common Interest.
PPP leadership Friday issued a statement that accused the federal government of ignoring the interests of provinces in the formation of the maritime authority-an entity aimed at overseeing maritime affairs, coastal management, and shipping regulations. The PPP said that such decisions come under the jurisdiction of the CCI, which is the constitutional body whose role is the settlement of disputes and regulation of power division between the center and the provinces.
Senior PPP leader and former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani said the decision taken by the PML-N was against constitutional procedure and a denial of the very spirit of federalism. "The authority to be created would directly affect the provinces, particularly Sindh and Balochistan, which have the coastal regions of Pakistan. The government should have sought the permission of the CCI before it proceeded," Rabbani added.
The PPP has formally presented an ultimatum to the CCI that it should assemble on immediate notice to deliberate upon the framework of maritime authority and possible implications for provinces. The party has threatened that failure to conduct constitutional consultation would push it towards judicial litigation and further denting the confidence of the federation with provinces.
However, insiders in PML-N say that this will be done in order to expand maritime governance and increase the trading activities happening in the sector. The authority would harmonize policies, improve management of ports and increase foreign investments in Pakistan's maritime sector say the insiders. But the leaders in PPP have least faith in the same and think that it would alienate major stakeholders as by-passing provincial input might affect its own survival.
Political analysts comment that this conflict is the latest manifestation of an ongoing battle between those two forces navigating Pakistan's intricate federal system as they strive to find a balance between provincial autonomy and federal influence, especially when such matters involve issues as sensitive as resource management and economic policy issues.
The controversy surrounding the maritime authority comes at a time when political activity is at a peak as Pakistan prepares for general elections. Demands by the PPP for greater transparency and due constitutional processes may resonate with its voters, especially in the province of Sindh, the party's bastion.
The PPP urges all political stakeholders to place national unity and constitutional integrity at the center of resolving this issue. Till now, the controversy over the maritime authority remains a flashpoint in Pakistan's changing political landscape.
