PML-N to table bill in National Assembly to revoke 17th amendment: Hashmi

12 Nov, 2008

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tuesday said that it would introduce a bill in the National Assembly to revoke the 17th Constitutional amendment that gives president a clear edge over parliamentary system by delegating powers to dissolve it.
Talking to newsmen outside Parliament, PML-N Central leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi deplored that there was no difference between the current and previous governments as PPP led-government was toeing the policies of the dictator.
PML-N wants smooth functioning of the democratic government and does not want confrontation with the constitutional institutions, he said, adding otherwise over 173 members are sitting on the opposition benches against 170 members in the ruling coalition.Hashmi said that there is no change in terms of policies to make the Parliament as sovereign even after former president General Pervez Musharraf's (Retd) resignation. "Judiciary still to be restored and 17th Amendment yet to be revoked", he maintained. He said that the nation expects PPP to implement its manifesto rather than pursuing policies of Musharraf.
About 17th amendment, he said that his party would table a bill to revoke the 17th amendment for undoing the constitutional amendments if the PPP failed to do so. He said slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto wanted a parliamentary system but President Asif Ali Zardari was still enjoying the powers of 17th Amendment.
He said PML-N would compromise on politics of principles and cooperate with all the positive measures taken by the government. He demanded that the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry should be restored to ensure independence of judiciary and the parliament should be made sovereign rather the parliamentary form of government.
Hashmi said that the nation was confronting severe crises that need correct measures. He further demanded that those either politicians or general should be exposed who were involved in the money scam which resulted in great loss to the national economy.

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