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| August 17, 2002 | Saturday | Jamadi-us-Saani 7, 1423 |
Parliament can reject changes, EU told
ISLAMABAD, Aug 16: Chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau, Lt Gen Tanveer Naqvi on Friday assured European Union electoral observation mission that the constitutional reforms being introduced are not reversible and subject to approval by future parliament.
“Constitutional amendments would stand unless there is a negative resolution approved by the parliament,” Naqvi told the EU observer.
“Parliament is sovereign and it can do whatever it likes and the Constitution clearly lays down the procedure in this regard,” Naqvi said.
The European Union mission, who had been criticized for interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs, met the NRB chairman here on Friday.
According to an official announcement, chief of the mission Cashnahan in his meeting with the NRB chief explained the role of his mission and said the EU has a universally recognized criteria for observing elections process in different countries and it would not interfere in the internal politics of any country.
Gen Naqvi briefed the mission about the proposed National Security Council and said it would be a consultative body and an executive or quasi-executive body. The objective behind establishing it was to bring stability to democratic system, he added.
He also explained the rationale behind introduction of the condition of graduation for the candidates to the elected institutions.
The NRB chairman also informed the mission about the role of Election Commission. “Election Commission derives its role directly from the Constitution and is an autonomous body, which conducts elections strictly in accordance with the parameters of its defined role laid in the Constitution,” he said.
Replying to another question regarding link between EC and NRB in the backdrop of local government elections, the NAB chairman said election commission interacted with the NRB because it was a new system requiring more understanding and clarity.
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