Karachi: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh President Nisar Khuhro has said that the party strongly opposes any move to roll back the 18th Amendment and will not accept any unilateral changes to the Constitution. “No new provinces are being created,” he clarified. He demanded that the federal government fix a support price for paddy and rice per maund and restore the Rice Export Corporation of Pakistan (RECP).
He expressed these views during a press conference at his office in the Sindh Assembly building on Tuesday, accompanied by PAC member Qasim Soomro.
Nisar Khuhro stated that the 18th Amendment was approved after forming a national committee and was passed with the consensus of all political parties, making it an integral part of the Constitution — something that even dictators could not undo. Responding to a question, he reiterated that the PPP is firmly against any rollback of the 18th Amendment.
He said that the final draft of the proposed 27th Amendment has not yet been shared with the PPP, nor has the party officially received it from the prime minister. “Although a government delegation led by the prime minister discussed certain points of the 27th Amendment with Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the party leadership, no final draft has been provided,” he added.
Khuhro further stated that the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting scheduled for November 6 will deliberate on the issue and make a final decision regarding the 27th Amendment. “The public also deserves to know about the final draft, and this hide-and-seek must end,” he remarked.
Answering another question, he said that no new provinces are being formed. “There is no constitutional space for a presidential system. Those advocating for it should read the ISPR’s statement, which clearly said that the armed forces must be kept away from politics,” he emphasized.
Talking about agriculture, Khuhro said, “Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, and Sindh contributes 65 percent of the country’s agricultural output. Yet, for the past two years, farmers have been facing severe hardships because the federal government has failed to fix the support price for paddy and rice.” He said that farmers across Sindh have been forced to protest on the roads, but the federal government has taken no notice.
He urged the federal government to take immediate action, fix a fair support price for paddy and rice, and restore and make functional the Rice Export Corporation. He said that the government, using the IMF as an excuse, is neither giving subsidies nor fixing support prices, resulting in the economic destruction of farmers.
Khuhro highlighted that deductions of 4 kilograms per maund of paddy are being made, and that while the price per maund was Rs. 3,200 before harvesting, it has now been reduced to Rs. 2,200 — a clear injustice to growers. “On one hand, the federal government talks about increasing exports, but on the other, it is destroying the very producers who supply raw materials,” he said.
He added that due to expensive inputs, fertilizer companies are charging heavy markups, and landlords sign contracts before the harvest, leaving no profit for farmers. “The cost of investment has become unbearable. A bag of DAP fertilizer now costs Rs. 14,000,” he noted.
Khuhro said that Pakistan’s agricultural growth rate is currently at minus three percent, yet the federal government is paying no attention to developing this vital sector. “The RECP was a vital institution that has been shut down. We demand that the Prime Minister restore it and fix a fair support price for paddy. I will also be writing a letter to the Prime Minister on this matter,” he added.
Regarding wheat, he said that Sindh had demanded a support price of Rs. 4,000 per maund, but the federal government fixed a uniform price of Rs. 3,500 across the country.
Commenting on the RBOD-II (Right Bank Outfall Drain-II) project, Khuhro said that despite Rs. 42 billion being spent, the project remains incomplete. “The RBOD-II was launched in 2002 at an estimated cost of Rs. 14 billion, which has since been revised three times to reach Rs. 62 billion. Now the department is demanding Rs. 200 billion to complete it,” he said.
He emphasized that RBOD-II is an important project for Sindh and that a consultant should be appointed immediately so that work can resume and the project completed. “Both the Sindh and federal governments should prioritize the completion of RBOD-II,” he urged.
