News
Sunday, March 28, 2010
I have no regrets: Nawaz
* PML-N chief blames PPP for deadlock over 18th Amendment
* CJP should appoint seventh member of judicial commission
* Gilani should consult CJP to resolve matters
* Issue of renaming NWFP will be settled ‘within days’
* Presidential powers should be curtailed in a single go before moving to other reformsStaff Report
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif rejected on Saturday that he had made a U-turn over the constitutional reforms package, and said he, therefore, had no regrets.
Addressing the media at a party worker’s residence, Nawaz conceded that a deadlock among political parties is in place over the proposed constitutional amendment package, but blamed the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for the current state of affairs, “because the ruling party is associating every issue with the 17th Amendment”.
About the differences with the PPP over the composition of the proposed judicial commission on the appointment of judges, the PML-N chief said the ruling party wanted to include a senior judge “of its choice” in the commission as the seventh member, which was “unacceptable because three of the seven members are already representatives of the government”.
CJP: However, proposing a solution to the deadlock among political parties over the amendments package, Nawaz said the chief justice should be authorised to appoint the seventh member of the judicial commission. He also called on Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to consult the chief justice as part of efforts to resolve the matter. He claimed the prime minister had talked to him about a meeting, and said “I welcome him” in this context.
The PML-N chief strongly opposed the inclusion of the federal law minister in the proposed judicial commission, and alleged that the law minister was a beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). “The minister was also involved in a Rs 30 million bribery case … his inclusion in the commission would certainly dent the credibility of the group”.
About a new name for NWFP, Nawaz said he was trying to reach an understanding with the Awami National Party (ANP) and leaders of the PML-N’s NWFP chapter. He claimed that the matter would be sorted out “within days”, and said the issue needed to be settled with consensus. “Both sides are responding emotionally... but I am trying to reach a settlement.”
According to a private TV channel, the PML-N chief said his party respected Pakhtuns and the ANP.
Nawaz claimed that two years had been “wasted” in framing the constitutional amendments. He also called for presidential powers to be curtailed in a single go before moving to other reforms in the constitutional package.
He said the constitutional package was being tabled at “a half-baked stage”, as matters were still under discussion when “I learnt that the package was being introduced in parliament and about the president’s address to a joint session”.
The PML-N chief called on the government to develop a consensus before tabling the reforms in parliament.
Nawaz said the package could not be passed in parliament in the absence of his party members. However, he said he did not want to compromise the sovereignty of parliament.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk