80 (Eighty) amendments proposed: Constitutional Reforms body finalises recommendations

After over 66 marathon sessions, the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms has finalised the draft recommendations, proposing 80 amendments to the Constitution. The draft recommendations comprise a 60 page compendium having 14 dissenting notes, reliable sources told Business Recorder.
According to sources, these amendments have been proposed in 60 Articles of the Constitution. The sources said Awami National Party (ANP) has proposed that FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and PATA (Provincially Administered Tribal Areas) should be made a separate province. If it is not possible, the areas should be made part of NWFP.
The sources said there are 14 dissenting notes of various political parties. The parties include Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakhtunkhawa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Balochistan National Party (BNP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Balochistan National Party Awami (BNP-A) and Jamhuri Wattan Party (JWP).
PML-Q representatives'' dissenting notes are about the Concurrent List, as they have opposed its abolition. The MQM has written a dissenting note about the sales tax on goods. It has demanded that the collection of sales tax on goods should be handed over to the provinces. The ANP members have written dissenting note on the issue pertaining to administrative control of FATA and PATA, as the ANP has demanded that these areas should be brought under the control of the NWFP.
The JUI-F note is about the procedure of appointment of judges to superior courts. The JUI-F said the appointment procedure proposed by the committee is not in accordance with the Charter of Democracy (CoD). PkMAP''s note is about its demand for a separate Pashtoon province and other issues that mainly relate to provincial autonomy.
The members of JWP and BNP-A have written dissenting notes on the issues of ports and provincial autonomy, while JI note is on education and appointments in different government departments. The committee has proposed the removal of the bar on becoming Prime Minister for third time and also finalised the procedure for making appointments in superior judiciary, sources maintained.
They said the committee would also meet on Sunday at 5:00pm and prepare a preamble of the draft along with a formal report on the proceedings of various meetings held so far. They further said the Committee would hold a meeting on Monday to review Article-1(2),62, 63, 155 and 251 of the Constitution.
THE TEXT OF ARTICLE -1 (2) OF THE CONSTITUTION IS AS UNDER:
(2) The territories of Pakistan shall comprise
(a) the provinces of Balochistan, the North-West Frontier, the Punjab and Sindh; (b) the Islamabad Capital Territory, hereinafter referred to as the Federal Capital; (c) Federally Administered Tribal Areas; and;
(d) Such States and territories as are or may be included in Pakistan, whether by accession or otherwise.
The committee will take up Article-251, which describes the rules about the national language for discussion in its meeting and review it for making certain changes if needed. The sources said the ANP has linked its support to the proposed amendments with the renaming of NWFP. The sources said the Committee Chairman is likely to hand over the draft recommendations of the committee to Speaker National Assembly on Wednesday morning (March 24).