Gaining power by shedding power

PKAFFAIRS.COM
Pakistan Current Affairs

HOME

Talk Shows

Political Parties

Dramas

News

Funny Clips

SEARCH PKAFFAIRS

Gaining power by shedding power

ISLAMABAD – Following his ‘reconciliation policy’, President Asif Ali Zardari has surrendered some more key powers to the parliament under the 20th constitutional amendment, defeating his detractors and elevating his stature in the democratic history of the country.
This achievement made through give and take has strengthened his own position as a major political player in the country as well as increased chances for his ruling PPP to secure another term in office.
This was made possible after hectic wheeling dealings with major opposition forces including the PML-N which got fulfil its demanded that the president would not appoint caretaker prime minister in future. This would now be done with a broader consensus between the outgoing prime minister and other parliamentary forces regardless of whether they are in opposition or part of the treasury.
Although the ruling PPP claims that what President Zardari has done was by and large in line with the political interest of the party, Zardari has proved he is more shrewd a politician compared with his opponents.
Through his strategy to keep friendly ties with the main opposition party PML-N, he has been successful to keep the various factions of Pakistan Muslim League divided, even by sharing power with some of them ostensibly to promote democracy but actually to promote politics of expediency. The PML-Q, PML-F and PML (Likeminded) in one way or the other have been a source of strengthen for the perpetuation of the PPP-led political dispensation, thus leaving no space for any major political manoeuvre by the PML-N.
The consensus among the parliamentary forces to alter the laws related to intra-party elections has been taken as criminal act by many as it would promote the interest of the top leadership of the political parties rather than promoting a healthy and equitable democratic culture in the country. Similarly, because of dubious connect between the treasury and the opposition in bringing a ‘reformed law’ of accountability in the country has been another bargaining chip for the top leadership of the ruling and opposition parties as it servers their vested interest either by keeping pending their corruption cases or get them resolved in due course of time through judicial process. The proposed accountability bill is still pending with the standing committee on Law and Justice apparently for lack of parliamentary consensus.
The PPP-led ruling alliance has done three landmark constitutional amendments starting with the 18th constitutional amendment under which the president abandoned his discretionary power under article 58(2) (B) to dissolve the national assembly. After this amendment the president can only dissolve the national assembly on the mandatory advice of the prime minister.
Similarly, on appointment of judges of higher judiciary, the mechanising has been streamlined through 19th constitutional amendment making it on the basis of mandatory advice of Judicial Commission headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan duly recommended by parliamentary committee.
The mechanism of appointment of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman as well as Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would now be appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the leader of opposition in the national assembly.
The president however retains mandatory powers to appoint army chief of Pakistan Army and other services chiefs, besides appointment of provincial governors as representatives of the federation.
Though generally these developments would be advantageous to the future democratic process in the country, the typical self-serving political interest at the core is a cause of concern for many, especially if President Zardari remains in the Presidency.
As president, Asif Zardari retains the status of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, besides his simultaneously being Co-Chairman of the ruling PPP. President Asif Ali Zardari has been ruthlessly using the presidency for political activities while acting as PPP chief. This has been the typical governance style of Asif Ali Zardari and he successfully (miss)used his position for political ends, some opposition leaders maintained during the background discussions.
They were of the view that Zardari has been playing his political cards so successfully while sitting in the Presidency that the mainstream opposition forces could hardly do any political scoring. He has implemented almost all the points of the landmark Charter of Democracy one after the other and thus rendered his political rivals ineffective, but he did so as and when it suited him politically.
Zardari adopted the Mughal era governance style as president at the expense of the national exchequer, they said. At his disposal was more than Rs310 million, allocated in the national budget for 2011-2012, which according to the financial experts would swell to Rs485 million by the end of the current financial year. This amount includes Rs110 million allocated merely for the staff and household of the president and this amount is in addition to Rs39 million being spent on wages of the president’s household servants.

Sports News
Today's top most sports news

Updated at: 24 May 2013

ICC no-balls Asad Rauf sans proof

Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has been withdrawn by the ICC from officiating in the upcoming Champions Trophy in England following media reports that indicated he was under investigation by Mumbai Police. "In the wake of reports that the Mumbai Police are conducting an investigation into Asad Rauf's activities, we feel that it is in Asad's best interests as well as those of the sport and the event itself, that he is withdrawn from participating in the ICC Champions Trophy," Dave Richardson, the ...

	India spot-fix scandal 'shameful': Sports minister
	No Vettori for Kiwis as they bid to hold England
	PCB brings interim set up in Rawalpindi
	Ali hits four goals in Muslim FC win
	Froch sorry for Kessler 'kill' threat
	Ferdinand extends Man United contract
	Cricket: O'Brien gives Ireland thrilling tie with Pakistan
	Pakistan awarded 2015 Squash World Cup

Entertainment News
Today's top most showbiz news

Updated at: 24 May 2013

Vampire Weekend tops Billboards

LOS ANGELES: Indie rock band Vampire Weekend grabbed the top spot on the weekly Billboard 200 album chart, besting new albums from country legend George Strait and pop singer Demi Lovato. “Modern Vampires of the City” sold 134,000 copies in its first week, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, and became the second album to debut at the top of the weekly Billboard 200 for the New York-based rockers. It was also the first independently distributed album to debut at No 1 on the chart ...

	Janet Jackson a billionaire
	Georges Moustaki dies at 79
	Twilight leads Teen Choice Award nominations
	King receives honour from Obama
	Red carpet: Summer -dos
	Star-studded premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist
	Kunaal Roy Kapur in search of a hero for his directorial
	Fixing gives the sport a bad name, says Deepika

Top News Stories
Today's top most news stories

Gunmen kill NATO driver in Khyber: officials

Gunmen on Friday opened fire on a convoy of NATO containers in a northwestern Pakistani town near the Afghan border, killing a driver and wounding a helper, officials said. The attack took place at Shagai area, 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Landi Kotal, the main town of the troubled ...

Li thanks Pak military for tracking down Chinese militants

ISLAMABAD - Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday promised to enhance the defence cooperation between China and Pakistan, besides reiterating the Chinese commitment to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relation and help in major energy and infrastructure projects. The incoming ...

Musharraf can be tried in special court: SC

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court has said that former dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf cannot be prosecuted unless the federation lodge a complaint against him for subverting the Constitution. A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja on Tuesday heard six identical ...

Shahbaz Sharif goes again to CM House

LAHORE - Parliamentary Committee of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on Thursday formally named Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif as their candidate for the Punjab chief minister. It would be the third turn of Shahbaz as the Punjab chief minister while he would be 16th CM of the province. Shahbaz ...

The dark ages: Water & power minister blasts finance ministry

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan’s power crisis deepens, Minister for Water and Power Musadiq Malik has flatly accused the finance ministry of ‘reluctance’ in releasing the entire amount of funds approved by the prime minister to arrange fuel for power plants. “Timely payments by the Ministry of Finance ...

SEARCH PKAFFAIRS

Privacy Policy: We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our Website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.