By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan National Assembly has passed sweeping constitutional reform that has curtailed presidential power barring the president from dissolving the national assembly besides renaming of Province NWFP as “Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa”.
As per the unanimously 18th amendment bill approved, Pakistan National Assembly in an amendment also deleted former military dictator Ziaul haq name from the existing constitution.
The amended bill also abolished a clause that barred the election of a prime minister for more than two terms.
IRNA reporter in Islamabad said that political pundits assume that Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, may have a chance for the seat of Premiership, as twice he had been Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The notable amendment passed in this bill is a clause on the repeal of Article 58(2b) of the constitution, barring the president from dissolving the national assembly on his/her own.
One newspaper also reported that now the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari would have a role that is largely ceremonial although he is expected to continue to wield significant influence as leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party.
It would not be out of place to mention that some members of the House who had differed with some clauses of the bill during the second reading also voted in favor of the document in the final stage, leading to a consensus package.
Pakistan National Assembly (NA) speaker Fehmida Mirza also announced on historic occasion that as many as 292 members have voted in favor of the motion to adopt the 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2010 and none have voted against.
“Consequently, the motion is adopted and the bill is passed with the votes not less than two thirds of the total membership of the assembly,” she added.
According to the document, anybody responsible for suspending the constitution or holding it abeyance would be charged with high treason.
The bill also renamed NWFP as “Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa”, while the House also passed an amendment to Article 153 of the constitution, providing for the reconstitution of the Council of Common Interests with the prime minister as its chairman.
The House also adopted an amendment to the constitution to change the procedure for the appointment of judges to superior courts.
Under the provision, judges would now be nominated by a judicial commission headed by the chief justice of Pakistan, while the final approval for appointments would be given by a parliamentary committee of members of the Senate and the National Assembly.
Pakistan National Assembly also passed an amendment in Article 213 of the constitution, providing that the prime minister – in consultation with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly – would forward three names for appointment to the office of the chief election commissioner for five years to a parliamentary committee for confirmation of the final appointee.
Under Clause 90 of the amendment, the powers to appoint services chiefs has been delegated to the prime minister, while the authority earlier rested with the president. However, the president would remain the supreme commander of the armed forces.
Under Clause 71, a high court for Islamabad has been proposed, in addition to the establishment of benches of the Peshawar High Court in Mingora and the Balochistan High Court in Turbat.
The 18th Amendment also envisages greater autonomy for provinces through the diversion of resources. Provinces would be allowed to explore natural resources, establish power generation units and earn royalty on natural resources.
Reportedly, the changes wipe away a host of measures introduced by military dictators in recent decades that had eroded the power of Parliament and centralized authority in the hands of the president.