May 22, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

ISLAMABAD, May 21: The draft 18th Constitution amendment bill envisages not only the reinstatement of judges, but also proposes strengthening of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and the National Economic Council (NEC).

“Drastic changes have been envisaged in the CCI and the NEC to remove grievances of small provinces and bring it within the ambit of provincial autonomy,” an insider told Dawn.

The proposed package suggests that leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate should also be made members of CCI and NEC.

The Council of Common Interests comprises the prime minister, who is its chairman, the four chief ministers and an equal number of members from the federating units while the NEC consists of the prime minister, as its chairman, and any number of members as determined by the president.

Having constitutional functions, the NEC is a cabinet-level consultative body of ministers holding economy-related portfolios.

The CCI formulates and regulates policies regarding railways, mineral oil, natural gas, development of industries and acts as an arbitrator if a provincial government, the federal capital’s administration or Fata file complaints pertaining to water.

The long list of proposals to amend existing constitutional provisions includes a strategy for reinstating the deposed judges.

The constitutional package also contains a provision to repeal Article 58(2)b of the Constitution, which empowers the president to dissolve the National Assembly.

Article 6, which stipulates trying for high treason anyone guilty of abrogating or suspending the Constitution, and other relevant acts are also likely to be amended in order to punish judges who validate military takeovers or take an oath of allegiance to military rulers.

Under the proposed package, the president would lose the power to appoint chiefs of the army and other services and the chief election commissioner.