‘System has failed’: Raja Nasir Abbas demands new mandate

Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has warned that Pakistan is facing multiple crises, saying the situation is worsening and public trust between the provinces and the federation has been affected.

Speaking to the media at Parliament House in Islamabad, Abbas said questions were being raised about the country’s federal structure. He attributed the growing political differences to the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, saying consensus had weakened.

He said Pakistan was also facing serious economic challenges, including rising inflation and poverty. According to Abbas, around half of the population was living below the poverty line.

“In civilised societies, a new mandate is sought in such circumstances,” he said.

The Senate opposition leader questioned the government’s position on the political system, saying officials themselves acknowledge that the system has become ineffective while simultaneously insisting that the government will complete its five-year term.

He also criticised the proposals and discussions surrounding the creation of new provinces, calling the proposed provincial map “strange”. He questioned why ruling elites travel abroad for medical treatment while the country’s healthcare system continues to face problems.

Criticism over PIMS incident

Abbas also called for changes to the composition of the committee formed to investigate the incident at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

He said the committee’s current composition did not reflect good intentions and criticised what he described as a lack of concern over the deaths of children in the incident.

“You are not serious about any issue, including healthcare,” Abbas said.

He argued that empowering and making local government institutions fully functional could resolve around 90% of public problems.

The opposition leader also questioned why local government elections were not being held and asked whether a functioning local government system was against the Constitution.

He said local elections could help produce a new generation of political leadership. He also claimed that financial considerations were influencing discussions about dividing provinces.

Calls for Punjab CM to withdraw statement

Abbas strongly criticised a recent statement by the Punjab chief minister, saying he was surprised by the remarks.

He described the chief minister’s statement as “adding fuel to the fire” and demanded that it be withdrawn.

The opposition leader called the statement condemnable and said such rhetoric could further intensify tensions over the issue of provincial restructuring.

Abbas also questioned whether the federal cabinet had formally decided to create new provinces.

He pointed out that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) official position on the matter remained unclear and asked whether the Punjab and Balochistan assemblies had passed any legislation approving the creation of new provinces