Islamabad: The ruling Pakistan People’s
Party’s efforts to finalise a constitutional reforms package
on Thursday suffered a major setback after it failed to achieve
consensus with the opposition PML-N on the procedure for
appointing judges and on renaming the NWFP.
The failure to finalise the package will be a major
embarrassment for the PPP as Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Babar Awan, a close aide of President Asif Ali Zardari, had
announced yesterday that the package would be tabled in both
houses of parliament on Friday.
Awan had also said the President would address a joint
sitting of the Senate and National Assembly tomorrow but
sources said this session was unlikely to be held as the
reforms package had not been approved.
A parliamentary committee comprising members of all
major political parties was expected to finalise and sign a
report with its recommendations for constitutional amendments
today but was unable to do so after the panel failed to
achieve consensus on key issues, sources said.
The PML-N and the Awami National Party, which rules
the North West Frontier Province, were unable to reconcile
their differences on renaming the province.
PML-N chief and former premier Nawaz Sharif told a
news conference this evening that his party had reservations
on the procedure recommended by the parliamentary committee
for appointing members of the superior judiciary.
Sharif demanded that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
should hold consultations with the Chief Justice, the superior
judiciary and the opposition to achieve consensus on the
procedure for appointing judges.
"No individual, including the President and the Chief
Justice, should have the power to appoint judges," he said.
The PML-N chief said the Prime Minister had told him
that the government wanted to table the constitutional reforms
package in parliament tomorrow, but he warned that the PPP-led
coalition would face "problems" in getting the amendments
approved by lawmakers if there was no consensus on the
package.
"We told him (Gilani) there will be problems if the
package is tabled without consensus," he said.
Sharif added that the PML-N wanted differences on the
package, including the proposal to rename the NWFP, to be
resolved amicably.
The committee that had framed the constitutional
reforms package should continue working till there is
consensus, Sharif said.
This was a clear indication that he was not endorsing
claims by senior ministers, including Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Awan, that the panel had completed its work.
Sharif criticised the PPP-led government for failing
to tackle rising rises, growing unemployment and crippling
power shortages.
He also slammed the government for keeping parliament
in the dark about the ongoing strategic dialogue with the US.
Meanwhile, sources said the parliamentary panel
working on the constitutional reforms had decided to meet
again after Friday prayers tomorrow to try and resolve
differences on the reforms package.
The draft reforms package contains wide-ranging
amendments aimed at stripping the President of sweeping
powers, including the powers to appoint the three service
chiefs and dissolve the parliament.
One-fourth of the constitution’s articles are likely
to be amended by the package.
The parliamentary committee that framed the package
has suggested over 100 amendments to 70 articles of the
constitution, the Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying.
The package is mainly aimed at removing changes made
to the constitution by two former military rulers, Zia-ul-Haq
and Pervez Musharraf.
The parliamentary committee has also suggested major
changes in the constitution to give Pakistan’s four provinces
more administrative, financial and political autonomy.
PTI
