Pak political parties slam Sharif’s U-turn on constitutional amendment package

Islamabad, Mar.26 (ANI): A last minute U-turn by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif over the proposed 18th Constitutional Amendment package has added to the troubles surrounding country’s politics, with political parties criticising the PML-N over its sudden change in stance.

The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has expressed surprise over Sharif’s U-turn.

Talking to reporters here, Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira said: ” The nation has been disturbed by the sudden apprehensions raised by the PML-N about the constitutional reforms package.”

Kaira said the Constitutional Reforms Committee had already reached a consensus on all issues, including the renaming of the NWFP as Pakhtoonkhwa, and expressed hope that Sharif would reconsider his strategy.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has also blasted Sharif , saying it was expecting the former Prime Minister to backtrack.

“When there is lack of vision among the leadership of a party than such U-turns and decisions could be expected,” senior PML-Q leader Kamil Ali Agha said.

Agha said the delay in presenting the package would waste the time of the public and will lead the country towards a new political and constitutional crisis.

Agha blamed both the PPP and the PML-N for the latest crisis and said they were ‘playing a joke with the country and the masses.’

Hours before the constitutional reforms package was to be tabled in Parliament, Sharif, during a press conference said that a “consensus” over the proposed package was necessary.

Following Sharif’s 11th hour change of stance over the issue, the federal government has postponed the proposed joint session of Parliament which was to be addressed by President Asif Ali Zardari.

During the press conference, Sharif denied any agreement being reached on the issue of the appointment of judges in the reforms committee, and said that his party had reservations over the proposed package.

“The issue of the judges’ appointment and the renaming of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has not yet been settled with the government,” The Daily Times quoted Sharif, as saying.

“Judges should not be appointed on the basis of favouritism but through a transparent mechanism which ensures protection of the judiciary, and input from the government, the opposition and Parliament,” he added.

Sharif said Zardari should address the joint session of parliament after a complete consensus on the amendment package is made and all differences removed.

The sudden change on Sharif’s stance has even confused many PML-N leaders, and insiders within the party said this sudden move took many within the party by surprise since all issues apart from the renaming of the NWFP had been settled by the reforms committee amicably.

Sources said Sharif’s change of stance was at the behest of some quarters, and the PML-N chief adhered to “some phone calls” he received just before his press conference.(ANI)