Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has given his approval to the constitutional package, which Law Minister Farooq H Naek submitted to him on Friday night.
The PPP Co-chairman suggested some changes, which were incorporated into the package. After getting approval from Asif Ali Zardari and making the necessary changes, Law Minister Farooq Naek has started handing over the package to all the coalition partners, said a statement issued here by the Ministry of Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and the Human Rights Division.
The package could not be handed over directly to ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan because he was in Karachi.
However, the constitutional package was handed over by the law minister to Bushra Gohar, Central Vice President of the ANP, as requested by Asfandyar Wali Khan.
The minister also had a telephonic conversation with Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who is in Saudi Arabia.
The Maulana congratulated the law minister, terming the constitutional package a great victory for democracy. On Maulana’s request, the law minister handed over the constitutional package to his representative Mufti Abrar.
A representative member of the MQM has also received the package, which will be sent to the MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London. The law minister, after discussion with PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, is flying to Lahore on Sunday morning to hand over the constitutional package personally to the PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif.
The meeting is fixed at 10 am in Raiwind. It is clearly written on the package that changes can be made in the constitutional package as per suggestions from all the coalition partners and others.
Meanwhile, Asif Zardari has said the PPP government, instead of scrapping the Local Government System, will introduce reforms for its improvement.
In a statement released by the Zardari House on Saturday, the PPP co-chairman dispelled speculations that the LG system was being disbanded.
The PPP believes in a three tier governance structure, federal, provincial and local – and the local government is the tier that can deliver responsive and responsible governance to the grass roots, he said, adding, "We want to empower the people through democratic institutions and help them take vital decisions about development in their respective areas themselves."
Zardari reminded that Benazir Bhutto had come up with the vision of a new social contract in 1993 and it was her who wanted the devolution of power to the local level.
He said that the PPP manifesto for the Election 2008 had also envisaged that primary education, basic health, water supply, sanitation, and population welfare should be looked after by the local government tier. "Our reforms will be aimed at making the local governments more transparent and responsive to the needs of the people "he said. —Agencies
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