Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has decided to present its 18th Constitution Amendment Bill 2009 in the National Assembly session beginning from Monday, January 12 to restore sovereignty of the Parliament and the parliamentary character of the 1973 Constitution.
The PML (N) Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif presided over a meeting of his top aides here on Saturday in which final touches were given to the proposed bill to undo the amendments to the 1973 Constitution made by Musharraf that virtually made the Parliament a rubber stamp and the Prime Minister at the mercy of the President.
The meeting was attended by PML (N) President and Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Secretary General Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, Central Information Secretary Ehsan Iqbal, Vice President Tehmina Daultana, Sardar Zulfikar Ali Khosa, Khawaja Saad Rafique and provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.
Party sources told Business Recorder that the meeting appointed a committee headed by the former finance and foreign minister Sartaj Aziz to make contacts with other political parties in the Parliament to prepare a consensus draft of the proposed amendments and seek their support for its adoption by the Parliament.
They said the most contentious powers of the President under the present amended Constitution are his power to dissolve the national assembly and dismiss the elected government under Article 58-2B and appointment of the services chiefs, chief justice of Pakistan, chief election commissioner, appointment of the provincial governors in his discretion, bypassing the Prime Minister and the Parliament.
They said that Musharraf had also made his provisional constitution orders (PCO) and other ordinances issued under Emergency Proclamation 2007 a part of the Constitution to strengthen his dictatorial regime and strangulate the superior judiciary. Since all parties including the ruling Pakistan People's Party are committed to declare these amendments to the constitution null and void though the post PCO Supreme Court had validated them, it is their moral obligation to support the bill.
Sources that PML (Q) Senator Saleem Saifullah has also presented his private 18th amendment bill in the Upper House but the PML (Q) having majority in the Senate has adopted this bill as party's draft legislation. Saleem Saifullah this week met Nawaz Sharif and sought PML (N)'s support for adoption of the bill. Sources said PML (N) committee will meet PML (Q) leadership to discuss the drafts of the two parties with a view to present a joint bill for approval of the Parliament.
They said PML (N) would make efforts for passage of the bill before the mid-term Senate elections in March 2009. However they apprehend that government would try to delay the adoption of the bill by referring to the concerned standing committee for its recommendations and report.
However political observers are of the view that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has already indicated that Pakistan People's Party would support the PML (N)'s bill as Shaheed Benazir Bhutto was committed to restore sovereignty of the Parliament and usurped powers of the Prime Minister by the President.
They said the manner in which Prime Minister has summarily dismissed his powerful Principal Secretary Siraj and the National Security Adviser Durrani (both appointees of the President Zardari), he has made it quite clear that he meant business and was not Zafarullah Jamali, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain or Shaukat Aziz who played second fiddle to President Musharraf.
They said despite denials there are simmering differences between the President and the Prime Minister over dichotomy of powers that had paralysed the decision making, good governance and chain of command processes under the 1973 constitution. Analysts say that first new year sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate called this month would be stormy and eventful as Pakistan is being put under great pressures by India, USA and some other Western countries following the Mumbai incidents.
After the meeting, the PML-N Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra told reporters that efforts were underway for alliance with Q-League but final decision was still awaited for merger between the two factions of Muslim League. Efforts from both sides of the Muslim League are being made for merger and Editor-in-Chief of Nawa-e-Waqt Majid Nizami is playing a role in this regard, he added.
He said the PML-N is not talking about mid term polls but the country is facing crisis like situation, therefore, the PML-N is ready to extend co-operation to all the parties for national solidarity. However, he said the PML-N would continue to play the role of opposition. Regarding Saturday's meeting, Jhagra said that matters concerning reorganisation of the party came under discussion. The meeting decided to form a task force under the convenorship of Ahsan Iqbal, which will submit its recommendations in the party's central working committee (CWC) to be held at Islamabad on January 22.
After completion of party's membership drive and re-organisational matters, party elections will be held, he added. He further said that the meeting also decided that PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif will undertake tour of all the provinces and he will start his tour of Sindh province this month.
He further said that the PML-N would hold rallies at all the four provincial headquarters and Islamabad on January 12, to express solidarity with Palestinians facing Israeli aggression in Gaza. PML-N Central Secretary General International Affairs Sheikh Kaiser Mehmood has said that Mian Nawaz Sharif gave preference to strengthening defence of the country instead of his rule.
He said, Pervez Musharraf dealt severe blow to national interests just to save his rule. Calling for doing away with flawed policies of Pervez Musharraf, he said, recent bomb explosions in Lahore are result of continuation of these policies. He said credit for peace during Muharram-ul-Haram goes to Khadim-e-Aala Mian Shahbaz Sharif and his team. He said rulers should quit if they cannot resist foreign pressure.