Zardari to shed some constitutional power: Report

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is committed to shed some constitutional powers well before March 30, the deadline he set for materializing his plan, well-placed official sources have said.

Sources said the president has finally conveyed his power-shedding plan to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to take all the political players in Parliament on board about modalities to get the job done.

In furtherance of Zardari's plans, the PPP-led ruling coalition devised a strategy seeking to accomplish the task for repealing Article 58(2)b and controversial clauses of the 17th Constitutional Amendment.

Sources are of the view that both the issues would be done away with the 18th Constitutional Amendment to make Prime Minister a real time chief executive of the country in line with the 1973 Constitution.

The prime minister's powers to dissolve the National Assembly would also be restored, The Nation quoted sources, as saying.

It was further learnt that the ministry of law and justice was working on some proposals in line with those constitutional issues on which all the parliamentary parties have already given their nod.

"Purpose of this exercise is to finalize a consensus legislative package that could be smoothly approved by Parliament whenever the government decides to table the proposals in Parliament," a source said.

Apart from the ruling alliance, the PML-N would have a very crucial role in the passage of the proposed 18th amendment, which the source said, would be a major step forward towards implementation of the Charter of Democracy (CoD).