News
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Presentation of reforms package delayed
* PML-N and ANP yet to decide on new name for NWFP
* Strength of judicial commission raised to seven
* Amendment proposed to clauses of articles 62, 63By Irfan Ghauri
ISLAMABAD: The tabling of the 18th Amendment package in parliament has been delayed once again as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Awami National Party (ANP) have still not resolved the issue of renaming the NWFP.
The ANP has accused the PML-N for what it calls unnecessary delay while the PML-N says it was still deliberating on the issue in its internal meetings and would discuss it in its central executive committee meeting on March 25.
ANP Senior Vice President Haji Adeel told Daily Times that the PML-N was causing a delay, adding that his party was ready to arrange a meeting of the top leadership of the both the parties to clear their differences.
He proposed that if the PML-N had any problems, the committee should finalise the proposed name, Pakhtoonkhwa with the consent of the other parties.
He said the PML-N could write a dissenting note on this specific clause just like other parties had written dissenting notes on a number of clauses and let the package go to parliament for approval.
Judicial commission: The committee continued its discussions in fine-tuning the draft of 18th Amendment and incorporated a demand to increase the number of judges in the proposed judicial commission from six to seven.
A new member who would be a retired judge of the apex court has been added in the commission.
Clauses: Various clauses of articles 62 and 63 of the constitution that deal with eligibility and ineligibility of a member of parliament have been proposed in the new draft.
According to one of the proposed amendments, a person disqualified from holding his office would be disqualified for five years instead of a life-long disqualification.
The committee intended to lay the new package in parliament today (Wednesday) but some issues including the renaming of NWFP have delayed it.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk