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PAKISTAN, ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated that the PPP as per its manifesto is committed to repeal the 17th Amendment from the Constitution.
“I think 17th Amendment is practically dead. I have called on the Parliament twice to repeal it. I do not consider it as an instrument. I do not rely on it. I do not intend to use it,” the President said in ARY NEWS’ programme “Eleventh Hour” telecasted Monday night.
“Being a politically elected President and accepting this position after the consensus within the party as well as resolutions adopted by the Parliament and provincial assemblies, why I would need the 17th Amendment?” the President questioned to the interviewer Jasmeen Manzoor.
The President said he has come to power through a political process as he fought the elections right from the Union Council and District Council to the National Assembly and Senate.
He said the PPP has a past and future as well, so how its co-chairman can think of not abiding by the party’s manifesto. “Will the (present) parliament allow itself to be dissolved,” the President remarked.
To a question about his relations with the Prime Minister, the President said Gilani is all powerful Prime Minister and the PPP nominated him for the position in the name of Benazir Bhutto.
He said there can be wishful thinking of some people about difference between him and the Prime Minister, maintaining “We all are with him. The PPP is behind him. He is a strong Prime Minister.”
To a question, the President said Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had asked him to become the Prime Minister, but the party after three months of deliberations nominated Gilani for the PM’s slot.
President Zardari said the PPP’s commitment to democracy and the Charter of Democracy can be gauged from the fact that Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, for the first time in history was also given the post of Chairman Public Accounts Committee.
He said some people wanted us to get into confrontation with state institutions “but we want to strengthen democracy and institutions. We are in the process of building institutions and not personalities”.
To a question about criticism on the government, the President recalled the situation in which the PPP government came into power after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
He referred to the federal budget 2009-10 and said some socio-economic vehicles have been created and some are being created for resolving the problems of masses.
The President did not agree with the view that the PPP’s popularity was on decline by saying the people of Pakistan voted PPP to power in the previous elections and the party will again clinch the majority in future as well.