Calling the 18th Constitutional Amendment a covenant between the Center and the federating units, former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said that by giving autonomy to the provinces under the amendment, the federation had strengthened.

In his statement on the eve of passage of the 18th Amendment, he said that it had now started bearing fruits. He further said it was a matter of great satisfaction that all democratic-minded political parties had trust in the constitution of 1973.

Referring to the hanging of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB), Zardari said although the violators of the constitution eliminated him, but they did not succeed in obliterating the constitution drafted under his supervision.