President Zardari kicks off consultative process for constitutional reforms

President Asif Ali Zardari Friday night kicked off a consultative process within the Pakistan People’s Party for constitutional reforms. A marathon brain storming session attended by the party’s leading members constituting informal think-tank was held late Friday night in the Presidency to deliberate on the issue of making the Constitution truly democratic, federal and parliamentary in character.
The brain storming session was the first of its kind within the party, outside the central executive committee and federal council, to discuss the proposed constitutional amendments with a view to developing consensus within the party.

Spokesperson former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that at the outset the party’s Co Chairman President Asif Ali Zardari said that the party was committed to uphold the principles laid down in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed in May 2006 and also to the principles enshrined in the party’s manifesto.

He said that the party was bound to these principles not only through the CoD but also through his two addresses to the Parliament and a special letter written separately to the Prime Minister to expedite the process of constitutional reforms.

The President said that the setting up of the Parliamentary Committee was a great leap forward towards the realization of the dream of ridding the Constitution of all anti-democracy clauses introduced into it by dictatorial regimes.

He said that the party should make full use of this opportunity to hammer out reforms in the Parliament with the consensus and support of all other parties.

The President said that after completing the consultative process within the party “we would be in a better position to talk with other parties”. He said that internal consultative process within the party should be completed within weeks and not months.

Those who attended the meeting included Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Khursheed Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar, Latif Khosa, Masood Kausar, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Rahimdad Khan, Zahir Ali Shah, Raja Riaz Ahmad, Makhdoom Shahbuddin, Mirbaz Khetran, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor, Mian Raza Rabbani, Afzal Sindhu, Bismillah Kakar, Pir Mazharul Haq, Ayaz Soomro, Sadiq Umrani, Rukhsana Bangash, Fouzia Habib and Farhatullah Babar.

After the President’s opening remarks the floor was opened and all participants expressed their views.

An announcement about the party position on various constitutional proposals will be made by the central executive committee of the party after completion of internal deliberations within the next few weeks, the spokesperson said.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has sent a message of greetings to Barack Obama, the President of United States of America on the independence day his country on July 4. In his message, the Prime Minister expressed felicitations to the US President on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said the long-standing ties between Pakistan and the United States are based on shared values and common perceptions about peace, freedom and development around the world.

“We are committed to building a strong, multifaceted and enduring partnership with the United States, to the mutual benefit of our two countries and peoples,” he said.

Gilani said, “I look forward to working with you to realize the vision of a closer Pakistan-U.S. relationship as well as to advance the shared goals of peace, stability and development in the region and on the international plane.”