June 24, 2005	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, June 23: Senior Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and Law Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada said on Thursday that introduction of presidential system in the country was not under consideration. “There is no proposal for presidential system under consideration at present,” Mr Pirzada told journalists after a meeting on the second phase of the devolution plan at the National Reconstruction Bureau.

Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said the local bodies elections would not be postponed.

He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf would ensure the continuity of the local bodies system and there should be no confusion on the issue.

Responding to a question, he said there was no question of abolishing the concurrent list but it would be revised to provide maximum autonomy to the provinces.

He said the NRB had given proposals to revise the list and those would be presented to the president after consultations.

Responding to a question, he said the parliamentary committee on Balochistan was examining various proposals to transfer certain responsibilities to the provinces but he felt that the federal government should have the powers to issue policy guidelines to the provinces. For example, he said, the federal government should have the powers to issue policy guidelines on education for uniformity in curriculum throughout the country. He said the committee would keep the principle in mind while finalizing its report.

Leader of the House in the Senate and head of the sub-committee on Balochistan, Senator Wasim Sajjad, said the committee would prepare a package for provincial autonomy which was acceptable to all the stakeholders and develop cordial and harmonious relations between the centre and the provinces.

He said he was not in a position to give a timeframe but the package would be introduced in parliament after consultations with the president and the prime minister. He expressed the hope that the present parliament would approve the package. He said it was pre-mature to discuss specific proposals.

He said no party enjoyed a two-thirds majority in both the houses of parliament and the package on provincial autonomy could not be approved unless consensus was achieved. He said such amendments should preferably be made through consensus even if a party enjoyed the required strength.

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