Zardari eyeing history, wants bill passed soon
Raja Asghar
"By standing in their shadows today and empowering the parliament, I
hope to walk into the annals of history, InshaAllah," the President
said, referring to landmark constitutional amendments proposed by an
all-parties parliamentary committee led by his ruling PPP and due to be
taken up as the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Bill by the two
houses during their new sessions beginning on Tuesday.
President Zardari |
"I call upon the parliament to pass the eighteenth constitutional
amendment bill without delay," President Zardari said about the draft
that, besides other things, seeks to clip the presidency of some of the
usually prime ministerial powers arbitrarily assumed by former president
Pervez Musharraf such as dissolution of the National Assembly and
appointment of armed forces' chiefs and provincial governors and to
enhance provincial autonomy.
The implementation of these reforms, part of a 2006 Charter of
Democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, would
make Zardari the first Pakistani President to willingly surrender powers
to parliament to become a figurehead after widespread skepticism of
critics about whether he would let it happen and waves of what his party
sees as inspired adverse speculations about his political future.
"The people of Pakistan are keenly watching and waiting for this
crucial reforms bill to pass," the president said, who has often
rejected such speculations and who seemed referring to his troubles with
two previous regimes by recalling in his speech his own one-time remark
that "I have walked from the gallows to the Presidency. This initiative
must lead to new beginnings."
Zardari's 25-minute speech was repeatedly cheered by desk-thumping by
members of the PPP and its allies though some opposition figures, such
as PML-N's opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali
Khan and PML-Q's opposition leader in the Senate Wasim Sajjad, seemed
unmoved even when the President repeatedly referred to a collective
success in formulating the constitutional reforms during nine months of
hard work by the 26-member parliamentary committee headed by PPP Senator
Raza Rabbani.
"There were anxious moments when some people feared that we had
failed," he noted and said - "But collectively we were able to resolve
differences, making history by restoring the 1973 Constitution, and
more."
The sitting was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza,
whom the President congratulated as the first woman speaker in the
Muslim world to preside over such historic changes. The guests in the
galleries included armed forces' chiefs, provincial governors and heads
of diplomatic missions in Islamabad.
The president cited the consensus on constitutional reforms, fight
against militancy, a reforms package for Balochistan and a new National
Finance Commission award as the most important achievement under the
PPP-led coalition Government, though he said the constitutional package
was "not a favour to anyone" but a national duty for which he
congratulated all parties in parliament for rising "above partisan
politics in an unprecedented show of national solidarity."
Benazir Bhutto |
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan |
Fight to the finish
He recalled Pakistan's history of subversions of the Constitution
such as by military coups of 1977 and 1999 that toppled then Prime
Ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was later executed, and Nawaz Sharif
respectively, and "sadder still" validations by the "pillars of the
state," and, in reference to the amendments, said, "The nation can take
pride that it has closed that sorry chapter."
But he acknowledged difficulties in tackling economic problems with
rising prices and squeezed incomes and power and water shortages.
Calling militancy and extremism the "greatest threat to our national
security in recent times," Zardari said, "I assure you we will fight to
the finish."
He reiterated the Government's policy to make peace with those
willing to give up violence and use force against those challenging the
writ of the state and said, "I assure you that the sovereignty of
Pakistan has been protected and solemnly pledge that it will be
safeguarded at all costs."
Among some planned measures, the President said reforms for Fata and
amendments to the British-era Frontier Crimes Regulations for the area
had been finalized after consultation with "stakeholders" and "will be
soon implemented."
Also, modalities of giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in
national elections "will soon be finalized," he said.
Foreign relations
The President said Pakistan sought a stable regional environment,
with ties with China remaining "the bedrock of our foreign policy," and
would give strong support for an "Afghan-led reconciliation and
reconstruction process" in Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan considered it essential to normalize relations with
India and wanted an honourable and peaceful settlement of outstanding
disputes, including the water issue and the "core issue of Jammu and
Kashmir", and sought no arms race though "a disproportionate increase in
military budget by the largest democracy does not help the cause of arms
reduction."
"We greatly value our relations with all Muslim countries and will
continue to strive for enhanced ties with them," he said.
The President said partnership with the United States and Europe had
strengthened over the past year "in sharp contrast to the isolation we
inherited," adding that the strategic dialogue with Washington was aimed
at "addressing core issues of Pakistan," while he welcomed President
Barack Obama's "new initiatives towards Pakistan."
- Dawn.com |