January 07, 2009	Wednesday	Muharram 09, 1430

LAHORE, Jan 6: The Pakistan Muslim League-N decided on Tuesday to move a bill in the National Assembly session, beginning on Jan 12, to repeal the 17th Amendment.

A party meeting presided over by Mian Nawaz Sharif also decided to observe a day of solidarity with the Palestinian people on Monday and start a membership campaign this month.

Mr Sharif told the meeting that democracy could flourish if all parties respected each other’s mandate.

The governments — both federal and provincial — should be allowed to function on the basis of their performance, instead of pulling each other’s legs, he added.

He said the PML-N would continue to pursue the agenda of national reconciliation for the common goal of repealing the 17th Amendment and implementing the Charter of Democracy in letter and spirit.

Sources in the PML-N said a committee would be set up to start a process of consultation with other parties to forge a consensus before finalising the bill to be prepared on the basis of the Charter of Democracy.

PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said his party would support the repeal of the 17th Amendment, except its four clauses — joint electorate, voter’s age, reserved seats for women and increase in the number of members of assemblies.

He expressed the hope that the Pakistan People’s Party would also support the bill because President Asif Ali Zardari had repeatedly offered to endorse such a move.

Meanwhile, PML-Q leader Saleem Saifullah met Mian Nawaz Sharif and offered his party’s support for repealing the 17th Amendment.

Mr Iqbal said Mr Saifullah had also brought with him a proposed daft of the 18th Amendment. He said the PML-Q leader also offered to work with the PML-N committee for a common position on the issue.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Saifullah said he had met Mr Sharif to present PML-Q’s draft of the amendment.

“I have been meeting all politicians to develop some kind of a consensus on the issue and today’s meeting was part of the same efforts,” he said.