PML-Q to withdraw members from body on CoD: Wasim

01 May, 2009

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) has decided to withdraw its members name from the proposed All Parties Parliamentary Committee on Charter of democracy (CoD), Business Recorder learnt on Thursday. Leader of opposition in Senate Wasim Sajjad has informed the leader of the house in Senate Nayyar Husain Bukhari and Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza in writing that his party has reservations on CoD.
The party does not consider CoD as a national document, as it was signed by only two political parties, ie PPP and PML (N). This development is considered to be a serious blow for government efforts to have national consensus on framing constitutional amendments that are required for the implementation of CoD.
PML (Q) has started opposing the CoD after the party has expressed reservations on the proposed establishment of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). For the first time the country will have two chief justices. According to Wasim Sajjad, there is no such precedent in any country in the world.
Instead for going to implement the CoD, the party leader like SM Zafar called for framing the Charter of Security (CoS) to steer the country out of the present crisis. As the government has been criticised by the opposition as well as some coalition partners, the PML (Q)'s move will further delay the process of CoD implementation.
Interestingly, PML (Q) had not opposed the resolution moved in the National Assembly for the establishment of Parliamentary Committee. However, the party had second thought when the same resolution was moved in the Senate on Wednesday. The party voted against the resolution.

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