Pakistani President Zardari slow in removing controversial clause

by Sanjay Jha | January 15, 2009 at 12:49 am

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Former President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf introduced a constitutional amendment to take more control of the government. The controversial amendment, known as 17th amendment, was passed in 2003 after a year of political wrangling between supporters and opponents.

Then Opposition parties campaigning against the Military dictator demanded immediate repeal of this provision and made as their main plank.

Under this provision, The Pakistani President regains the authority to dissolve the National Assembly - and thus effectively to dismiss the Pakistani Prime Minister - but the power to do so is made subject to an approval or veto by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif were main opponent of this provision but after Mr. Zardari took over as the President of the Pakistan he is dithering to cancel this provision.

President Zardari held separate meetings with law minister Farooq H Naek, adviser on interior Rehman Malik, information minister Sherry Rehman at President House to look into the issue from all aspects as pressure, not only from the other political parties but from within Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), is mounting that President Zardari who is Co-Chairman of the PPP should withdraw ‘politically undesirable’ powers he has been enjoying under 17th Amendment of the constitution.The sources said Pakistan PML-N will not submit its draft bill in the National Assembly Secretariat but it will handover it to a PPP leader and leader of the house in Senate Raza Rabbani. It will be the fifth draft bill to be presented against 17th amendment as four bills have already been submitted in the regard in the NA Secretariat—one presented by the PPP with the name of Constitutional Amendment Bill, two by Pakistan Muslim League-Q (one by Salim Saif Ullah and the other by Wasim Sajjad) and the forth one from Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM).