Proposed package of constitutional amendments unveiled: Musharraf should walk away: Zardari
* residential powers to be transferred to PM
* Third time bar on presidential election
* Reinstated judges to take fresh oath
* NWFP to be renamed Pakhtoonkhwa
* No disqualification for criticising army, judiciary
* Government servants can’t contest elections
* Minorities will get representation in Senate
By Zulfiqar Ghuman
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wants President Pervez Musharraf to quit rather than be impeached, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari told a press conference after a PPP central executive committee meeting on Saturday.
The committee approved unanimously a proposed 62-point constitutional reforms package seeking transfer of executive powers from the president to the prime minister. “We intend to walk him away, rather than impeach him away,” Zardari said, adding that his party had never accepted Musharraf as a constitutional president.
Law Minister Farooq H Naek told journalists that the proposed amendments included changing the name of the NWFP province to Pakhtoonkhwa (Article 1), considering a validation of the suspension or abrogation of the Constitution by a judge as high treason (Article 6), no more than two full terms as president for any individual, minorities representatives in Senate (one each from the four provinces and the federal capital) increasing the strength of Senate to 105, and transfer of executive powers such as appointment of services chiefs, provincial governors, high court and Supreme Court chief justices, auditor general and attorney general, to the prime minister.
The proposals also include a fresh oath for reinstated judges and a ban on government servants from contesting elections.
Naek said the proposed amendments would prohibit individuals from holding two public offices, repeal the clause of disqualification over criticism of judiciary and army, make consultations with political parties mandatory before appointment of caretaker setup, shorten the concurrent legislative lists giving provinces more autonomy, increase provincial representation in the Council of Common Interest and obligate at least two meetings of the council every year, make the National Economic Council more effective and obligate National Finance Commission meetings after three years instead of five.
Zardari said the proposed reforms package would be shared with the PPP’s coalition partners and “political forces inside and outside the parliament”.
“This is not sacrosanct document. It is open for debate,” Zardari said. The PPP co-chairman said his party believed in dialogue and not in confrontation. “We will also talk to the Presidency and to the lawyers community through Aitzaz Ahsan.” “Once this package is tabled in parliament, then the lines will be clearly drawn that (show) who is with who.” Asked if the ISI was opposing a UN-led probe into Benazir’s killing, he said: “They may do some tricks, but they cannot tell me what to do.”
salient features
* Article 58 (2b) will be abolished
* Power of appointing armed forces chiefs, chief justices will be transferred to PM
* Validation of suspension or abrogation of Constitution by a judge will be high treason
* Consultation with political parties will be mandatory before appointing caretaker setup
* Provincial representation in the CCI will be increased, will meet twice every year
* National Economic Council will be made more effective
* National Finance Commission will meet every three years instead of five
Rice hopes for common ground with Pakistan to counter terror
* US secretary of State says terror war is not just about army action
WASHINGTON: United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that she hoped to find common grounds with Pakistan in dealing with terrorism.
The top US diplomat said Washington respected the new Pakistani government’s decision to try the course of agreements with tribesmen but was worried that militants had violated such pacts in the past.
Rice told the BBC in a joint interview with her British counterpart that the US understood that “fighting terrorism is not just about military action. One does have to be able to deal with irreconcilables through military action, but of course, you also have to win the hearts and minds of the people...
“But to say that one is concerned is simply what friends do.”
Regarding Kabul’s reaction to Pakistan’s approach, Rice said the Pakistani government did not want to create circumstances in which terrorists could get breathing space.
Her British counterpart David Miliband reaffirmed his country’s support for the new Pakistani government. “It’s got to be what the Pakistani government calls a multi-pronged strategy,” he said. app
‘Qaeda growth in FATA troubling’
WASHINGTON: A Pentagon report said on Friday that the growth of Al Qaeda safe havens in the Tribal Areas is “troubling” and it may take Pakistan several years to turn around the situation. The report to Congress by the United States Department of Defence said Pakistan increased troop levels in the areas by 30,000 last year, and made “significant and costly” efforts. It made no reference to the new Pakistani government’s negotiations with militants. afp
Mehsud vows jihad in Afghanistan
KOTKAI: Top Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud vowed on Saturday to continue fighting NATO and US-led forces in Afghanistan regardless of negotiations for a peace deal with the Pakistan government. Mehsud told a group of journalists that he wanted to stop fighting the Pakistan Army, but made no commitment about halting attacks in Afghanistan. “Islam does not recognise frontiers. Jihad in Afghanistan will continue,” Mehsud said. reuters
President and Chaudhrys mull counter-strategy
By Muhammad Bilal
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday discussed a strategy to counter any move to impeach him with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q Punjab President Pervaiz Elahi.
Sources privy to the meeting, which was held at President’s Camp Office in Rawalpindi, said that the Chaudhrys assured the president that they would stand by him and ensure that no such move succeeds. “They [Chaudhrys] informed the president that the PPP can’t pass the constitutional package unilaterally ... it is not possible for the coalition government to pass any bill from the Upper House of parliament without taking the PML-Q into confidence,” sources said.
According to Online, the president also underscored the need for promotion of restraint and tolerance in politics, saying that all the political forces would have to unite to counter the challenges facing the country.
Earlier, talking to reporters at his residence, Shujaat warned PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari against pursuing a confrontation with the Presidency. He said the system based on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) could collapse if Zardari does not act wisely.
Commenting on recent statements attributed to Zardari, Shujaat said there had been tremendous pressure on President Musharraf against issuing the NRO. “It would be better to cease such talk,” he said in response to Zardari’s statement that there was great pressure on him to impeach the president.
http://dailytimes.com.pk