Reforms body to present amends in phases

ISLAMABAD - The Special Committee of the Parliament on Constitutional Reforms would present various constitutional packages related to issues concerned including the 17th Amendment, 58 (2b), provincial autonomy and others, phase by phase, a reliable source told TheNation on Monday. According to the sources, in first phase, a package about 17th Amendment specially related to 58 (2b) would be prepared, while in the second phase a package on the subject of provincial autonomy would be prepared. The constitutional packages would be presented in episodes in the National Assembly. Similarly, a package of recommendations would be prepared to remove the distortions in the Constitution, which had been made under Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) in the regime of former President General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf. The sources also said that a package about Local Bodies would be prepared and constitutional protection would be given to the Local Bodies to make them autonomous and answerable to their respective Assemblies as well as to the people through regular courts of law. The sources said that the government might try to create hurdle in removing the restriction on becoming the PM third time. This issue might be kept on the back burner and discussed at the end. When contacted, Mian Raza Rabbani, Chairman, Special Committee of the Parliament on Constitutional Reforms said that he was busy and be called again after one and a half hours. But when called again after one and a half hours, he disconnected the call immediately after receiving it. When called again, he did not receive it. When contacted, member of the Committee, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, said that first of all the Committee should present a package for the repeal of 17th Amendment because all the political parties had consensus on it. He said that the issue of 17th Amendment should not be delayed because it had already been settled in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) while the other political parties had also consensus on it. Answering a question, the PML-N leader said that if the government was sincere, the Committee could complete its work within 15 days. He claimed that the PPP government wanted to hang this issue through various techniques. He said that the constitutional reforms should be made by implementing the CoD in letter and sprit. S.M. Zafar of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) told TheNation that parliamentary parties would present their recommendations in the next meeting of the Committee, which would be held on July 28. He said that it was possible for all the parties to come to a consensus on one or two issues including the 17th Amendment and 58 (2b). He said that the Committee had settled the rules and regulations and it would start its work from the next meeting.

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