Pakistan in Media

Nothing concrete was achieved at the talks held between President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad. There was no breakthrough on the NRO or any other decision that could be classified as significant. Some media reports suggest that the two men did little more than break bread together. But despite this, the dialogue is immensely significant. It has come at a time when rumour has been rife of change and possible military intervention. A meeting held recently between Mian Shahbaz Sharif and the army chief COAS fuelled talk of conspiracy and various scenarios were drawn up. Some at least watched and waited with bated breath. After all we are familiar with the way such things happen in our country. The Zardari-Nawaz meeting as such creates some sense of calm. It indicates that the two main political forces are not opposed to the idea of working together and sharing ideas on how this can happen. Indeed, the lack of discussion on the NRO is highly intriguing. Nawaz Sharif was expected to press for it to be repealed. That he did not apparently do so indicates he is keen to work with the president and perhaps also willing to let him and his key aides of the hook.

The issues brought up at the meeting included the 17th Amendment. The PML-N chief remains eager for this to be done away with, thus making it possible for him to again take charge as PM. An undoing of the clause would of course also reduce the powers held by the president and help restore the balance towards parliament. It appears that there has been a broad understanding, though possibly no firm commitment, that this will happen. Balochistan, militancy, the need for administrative reform and the need for political cooperation were also discussed. The many voices we hear criticizing politicians are once again describing this meeting as a failure. But it is perhaps unfair to do so. At this juncture, the ability of political parties to avoid falling into traps and to set democratic traditions has become paramount. Over the past few months we have been seeing how easy it is to stumble and fall, and repeat mistakes we have seen made on previous occasions. The indication that the political opposition is aware of the need to avoid this is welcome.

The News International,Pakistan, Saturday, July 18, 2009
Zardari, Nawaz agree to repeal 17th Amendment; PML-N Quaid wants PPP to consult legal experts on Musharraf’s trial; expresses concern over price-hike, drone attacks, Balochistan situation; seeks amendments to LGO; Zardari assures Nawaz of accommodating PML-N suggestions.

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, during their marathon meeting here on Friday, reached consensus on repealing the 17th Amendment, securing the reserved seats for women and the joint electorate in the light of an accord, reached between the two parties under the Charter of Democracy.

The PML-N leader reportedly also asked the president to improve the government’s performance or else growing public anger might pose a grave threat to democracy in the country. The two leaders, along with their close aides, had a lunch together at Nawaz Sharif’s Raiwind residence and discussed a number of issues of national and international significance.
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Daily Times, Pakistan, Thursday, July 16, 2009
The pre-amble to the Constitution says that the minorities are to be allowed freely to profess and practice their religions. However, in the annexure inserted by Zia-ul-Haq’s Order 14 of 1985 the word ‘freely’ is missing

The government has recently set up a 27-member Parliamentary Committee to consider various amendments to the Constitution. This will have to be an exhaustive exercise given the key areas that need to be identified and looked into.
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The News International, Pakistan, Monday, July 13, 2009
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday conceded that the present governance system in the country was a hotchpotch and said that it was neither parliamentary nor presidential.

“The system in the country is a hotchpotch as neither is it parliamentary nor presidential. Therefore, reforms are being introduced to restore the 1973 Constitution, which has a parliamentary system,” he said while responding to a query of a gold medallist at the seventh convocation of the International Islamic University here on Sunday at the Convention Centre. The prime minister had invited the gold medallists to put one question each to him.
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The News International, Pakistan, Tuesday, July 07, 2009
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has agreed to repeal the controversial 17th Amendment and reform the Constitution in line with the Charter of Democracy (CoD).

Generally seen as the main stumbling block in the implementation of the CoD and purging the 1973 Constitution of distortions, Zardari on Monday clearly told his party’s top decision-making body — the CEC — he was willing to fulfil the commitments made by Benazir Bhutto. “There is a need to undo the 17th Amendment and 58-2(b) and reform the Constitution in the light of the Charter of Democracy,” he said while addressing the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), which met here at the Presidency.
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Dawn, Pakistan, Sunday, 05 Jul, 2009
TODAY Pakistan stands on the brink of constitutional anarchy. Some forces want a new constitution; others champion the restoration of the constitutional order existing before Oct 12, 1999 or a confederal constitution. Our constitutional chaos is the result of the unscrupulous constitutional manipulations of Gen Ziaul Haq.
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Dawn, Pakistan, Sunday, 05 Jul, 2009
IN the everlasting public debate on constitutional matters, opinions differ on the division of powers between the president and the prime minister. But all sections of civil society appear to agree that civil servants of all vocations, police included, should be neutral, the judges independent and soldiers not meddling in politics.
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Daily Times, Pakistan, Thursday, June 25, 2009
ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms has suffered its first setback without a single meeting, with the PML-N demanding a change in its nomenclature, and a limiting of its mandate. Speaking on a point of order, PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said the committee should be restricted to working only on repealing the 17th amendment.
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The News International, Pakistan, Wednesday, June 24, 2009
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza on Tuesday unveiled the 27-member Special Committee of Parliament on Constitutional Reforms.

Addressing a press conference at the Parliament House here, she said the body had been announced after consulting all the parliamentary leaders of the 15 political parties having representation in both houses of parliament.

The committee would finalise the recommendations of political parties for constitutional reforms, including repeal of the 17th Amendment, under the scope of the Charter of Democracy, the speaker said.
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