Zardari seeks advice on 17th amendment

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari, also co-chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), wants to strike a balance of power with the prime minister in the likelihood of the 17th constitutional amendment being repealed.

Zardari is learnt to have consulted Law Minister Farook H. Naik, and other aides regarding the articles of the 17th constitutional amendment that need to be tempered, since the current law is heavily tilted in favour of the president, aides close to Zardari said.

The PPP leadership had, during recent deliberations with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, urged the latter to come up with a consensus draft of the constitutional amendment.

A committee drawn from among all the major parties and groups in parliament is expected to be formed to review the proposed constitutional amendments and come up with a consensus draft.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has also made it clear that the PPP will negotiate with all parties that want to table constitutional Bills.

The PPP's ally in Sindh, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), has already submitted a constitutional amendment in the assembly and the PML-N intends to do so during the current session.

The PML-N is gradually assuming the role of a fierce opposition party after initially joining the PPP-led government as a coalition partner following the February 18 elections. The PML-N recently announced that it would present a Bill in parliament to repeal the 17th amendment.

The amendment allows the president to dissolve the National Assembly, dismiss elected governments, appoint chiefs of the powerful armed forces and governors of the provinces, among other sweeping powers.

These powers were earlier vested in the prime minister as chief executive of the country but were later transferred to the president through the 17th Constitutional amendment passed by the National Assembly in 2004.

The 17th amendment was tailor made for the then president, General Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf held the 2002 general elections in the absence of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and his arch rival Nawaz Sharif - with Bhutto in self-imposed exile in London, and Sharif forced into exile for 10 years to Saudi Arabia.

A declaration signed after the February 18 polls between Sharif and Zardari had vowed to repeal the 17th constitutional amendment but, since becoming president, Zardari has taken little interest in repealing the amendment, until now.

Draft bill: Sharif party gives input

The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) presented to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) a draft parliamentary Bill designed to scrap the controversial 17th Amendment to the constitution.

The leader of the ruling coalition in the Senate, Raza Rabbani, received the draft from a central PML-N leader, Ishaq Dar.

PML-N chief and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly urged President Asif Ali Zardari to abide by a joint commitment to the nation to clip sweeping presidential powers by abolishing the 17th Amendment, a legacy of the Musharraf regime. The PPP leadership has reaffirmed the commitment to do away with the amendment but has sought a consensus with all parliamentary parties.

Rabbani told reporters after receiving the PML-N draft Bill that the PPP would examine it as well as other Bills presented by the PML-Q and the Muttahida Qaumi movement, a PPP partner in the Sindh government.

"Our effort will be to bring a consensus document before the parliament so that is it passed with required two-third majority," he said.

- Shahid Hussain, Correspondent