By Xinhua,
Islamabad : Pakistan’s new government on Saturday announced a plan to scrap the powers of the country’s president to dissolve parliament, appoint services chiefs and governors, the country’s law minister said.
Farooq H. Naek said at a news conference that the powers of the president would be transferred to the prime minister and the parliament.
Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Zardari chaired a meeting of his party’s central executive to approve a “constitutional package” to withdraw from the president.
There was no reaction from the president office.
Zardari said the proposed package would be discussed with President Pervez Musharraf.
The package will be presented in the cabinet and the parliament for approval after consultations with political leaders, Zardari said.
To a question about Musharraf’s fate, he said, “We have never accepted General (retired) Musharraf as constitutional president but the PPP has working relationship with him under the constitution.”
Asked if the government plans to impeach Musharraf, he said, “We want him to walk away rather than impeach him.”
“Democratic system and dictatorship can not go together,” Zardari said.
In the constitutional package the name of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) will be changed to “Pukhtoonkhwa.”
Under the new law, five minority senators would be inducted in the Senate, upper house of the parliament, each from four provinces and one from the capital territory of Islamabad.