Repealing 17th Amendment: PML-Q seeks Nawaz League, other parties' cooperation

Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) on Saturday asked the PML (Nawaz) and other political parties to cooperate with each other in clipping presidential powers under the 17th Amendment. This was stated by PML (Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at a news conference after the party's constitutional committee met here.
"The President has almost all the state powers under Article 58-(2b). This article should be repealed to clip President's powers," said head of former ruling party, which was the proponent of 17th Amendment to give powers to former president Pervez Musharraf.
Shujaat said that his party was ready to support other parties' bills in this regard. "If other parties introduced a bill in this regard in the parliament, the PML (Q) will support such legislation," said Shujaat when asked whether his party would support the PML (N) draft bill if it was presented in the National Assembly in the session beginning Monday (tomorrow).
Shujaat said the party owns the bills tabled by Senators Salim Saifullah Khan and Wasim Sajjad for repealing the 17th Amendment. "We are expecting that the government would give good news in this regard and fulfil its promises of strengthening the Prime Minister and the parliament." "We think that there are so many amendments which need to be repealed," Wasim Sajjad said. He said PML-Q had already tabled such bill but it was not approved.
Wasim Sajjad said that Article 58-(2b) of the Constitution should be abolished forthwith and powers of dissolution of National Assembly should be vested with the Prime Minister. He said the powers of dissolution of provincial assemblies should also be withdrawn from governors. He said the power to appoint governors should rest with the Prime Minister. Wasim Sajjad said the power to appoint services chiefs should also be enjoyed by the Prime Minister.
Explaining his bill, Salim Saifullah said he had proposed that the Senate should approve the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner. He said in the absence of any governor, the speaker of respective provincial assembly should act as acting governor.
"The appointment of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court should also be approved by the Senate and rights to minerals and ports should be given to the provinces," he added. He said if the two-thirds majority of any provincial assembly wants to rename the respective province, the federal government should have no objection.
"However, I am not satisfied with the name of Pakhtoonkhwah and there should be a better name. Chaudhry Shujaat has done very good work for provincial autonomy and our party would want to transfer all the power to the Prime Minister," he added. Answering a question, PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed urged all the political parties to cooperate with PML-Q in the proposed legislation. He said that the government was hesitating to repeal 17th Amendment, but PML-Q would make all efforts to do so.