Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday strongly condemned extension of Actions (in aid of civil power) Ordinance, 2019 to entire KP. He maintained that this ordinance provides excess power to the military to arrest citizens and keep them in detentions.
He maintained that extension of this ordinance has merged KP into FATA instead of merging FATA into KP. Bilawal said the Ordinance was in action in Fata when militancy was at its peak in these Tribal areas.
It was thought after FATA merger in KP that the oppressed time is over in the Tribal Areas, but the extension of Action (in aid of civil power) Ordinance, 2019 reflects that same mid-set is still ruling the province.
According to the reports, the KP Actions Ordinance, 2019 is almost a reproduction of two regulations promulgated by the president in 2011 for FATA and PATA through which legal cover was given to several detention centres set up during the military operations in different regions.
Labelling this move “as two steps backwards”, he vowed to continue with his struggle for the supremacy of constitution and a rights-based society in Pakistan. “Instead of merging FATA into KP, they have turned all of KP into FATA,” he added.
He said that we have witnessed the abuse of such arbitrary powers in the past. “This Ordinance also violates the judgments of superior courts and thus undermines the role of the judiciary.”
Chairman PPP also expressed his annoyance at the covert manner in which the Ordinance was promulgated. “The PTI government wants to run the entire country through ordinances and not proper legislation, which comes in effect through consensus and a democratic process. While we are not surprised by such moves, we will not allow this government to lead the country into further chaos through their undemocratic actions.”
The Chairman also instructed the provincial government of PPP to demand the KP assembly to debate this issue in consultation with other opposition parties
