‘Govt. keen to implement 13 A’

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, has declared that the government was keen to implement the 13th Amendment. The Minister said so in response to Sidhant Sibal’s query on behalf of the WION. Sibal quoted the Minister as having said: “Right now actually we all want provincial council elections, but it cannot be held now because of a particular Bill that was brought in to Parliament, in 2018, by the then government for which the TNA and Tamil parties also voted. In terms of that particular voting a new delimitation has to take place of the provinces and it has not taken place and there is some legal impediment on that. It is

their own doing unfortunately, and they did it at that time to prevent elections and as a result of that the current impasse, but naturally the 13th Amendment should be implemented and those powers which was with them should be given to them, power should be devolved to the people in the area, the people of the areas should deal with the activity whom they elected. So yes, the 13th Amendment should be implemented and the government is keen on implementing that. Yes, India had taken it up at various forums, including the UNHRC.”