ISLAMABAD, July 7: President Pervez Musharraf is expected to address the nation over radio and television soon to explain his government’s proposed constitutional reform package, sources told Dawn on Sunday.

They said although no date had been finalized for the address, it was expected that the speech would be televised later in the week.

Another well-placed source said the speech was likely to be made on Wednesday.

The constitutional reform package that has recommended 23 amendments has evoked scathing criticism from the political and legal circles, besides other segments of society.

President Musharraf had reportedly raised the issue of misapprehensions about the mechanism of checks and balance proposed in the constitutional reform package in the last cabinet meeting and expressed the intention of taking the nation into confidence over the proposed constitutional measures.

The reform package has been prepared by the National Reconstruction Bureau headed by Lt-Gen Tanvir Naqvi. It was unveiled last month for public debate after it was approved by the cabinet “for the continuity of its reform agenda” after the October elections.

Reportedly, most of the cabinet members were kept in the dark about the proposed package and there was no discussion or debate on it prior to its approval by them.

Gen Naqvi conceded in a recent panel interview with Dawn that the role of the army in politics had been formalised through the new constitutional package. Defending the proposed amendments, he argued that they would block military takeover in future. “The government’s objective is to let democracy stay on track,” said the NRB chairman.

All major political parties have rejected the proposed constitutional package, saying the amendments are a blatant violation of the system of federal parliamentary democracy.

President Musharraf was expected to begin a consultative process to discuss the proposed amendments with politicians, intellectuals and journalists last week but it was deferred.