ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-N proposed on Saturday three amendments to the resolution moved by the PPP-led coalition government in the National Assembly on Friday that wanted state institutions to act within constitutional “limits” and reposed “full confidence and trust” in the country’s political leadership.
Through the amendments signed by all 90 members of the PML-N, a copy of whose draft was made available to Dawn, the party has sought to remove the call for all state institutions to “strictly function” within the constitutional limits and, instead, suggested to make it binding on the government “to immediately implement in letter and spirit all previous resolutions of parliament and all the decisions of the superior judiciary”.
The draft also calls upon the government “to ensure that all administrative actions are strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the law, for smooth functioning of all state institutions”.
The opposition has no objection to the first two of five paragraphs of the resolution moved by ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, and suggested amendments in the last three paragraphs.
The PML-N draft rejects the last clause of the government draft that required the house to repose “full confidence and trust” in the country’s “political leadership” for making efforts to strengthen democracy.
Instead, the opposition wants the government to commit through the resolution that it “will provide relief to the suffering masses by devoting all energies and efforts to improve governance, eliminate gas and electricity loadshedding, control inflation, create employment opportunities and put the country back on the path of self-reliant economic growth”.
To the clause of the original resolution reiterating that “sovereignty lies with the people of Pakistan and the parliament is the repository of the collective wisdom of the people”, the PML-N wants to replace it with “sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Almighty Allah alone, and the authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust”.
The government had tabled the resolution amid a hot guessing game gripping Pakistan for several days and its worries about the Supreme Court’s handling of some cases that seem to seek undermining government leadership and perceived differences with military leadership.
When contacted, PML-N Information Secretary Mushahidullah Khan said the opposition had suggested non-controversial amendments to the resolution and there was no reason for the PPP and its allies to disagree to them.
He said it would be the real test of the PPP and the ruling coalition partners as to how they reacted to the amendments through which the PML-N had just sought an assurance from the government to implement the court’s verdicts and highlighted the major public issues.
Answering a question, he said it would be difficult for the PML-N to accept the resolution moved by the government. He said that although the government through its majority could pass any resolution, it would not be called a unanimous resolution.
Deputy parliamentary leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Haider Abbas Rizvi, told Dawn that the constitutional and legal experts of the party on Saturday reviewed the draft of the resolution tabled in the assembly on Friday and would again review it on Sunday.
Mr Rizvi said his party had not seen the amendments moved by the PML-N so far and it could only react after seeing them.
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