Sections of PPP, PML-N leadership feel package may take months and even fizzle out

Islamabad, June 3 : Even as the current political developments in Pakistan revolve around the PPP's proposed constitutional package, sections of leaderships both in the PPP and the PML-N are of the view that the package would take several months to get through the parliament, if, at all, it succeeds in earning parliamentary approval.

Leaders say that the expected long delay in getting the package passed by the Parliament may even lead to it being fizzled out.

A PML-N stalwart who attended a recent meeting with the country's Law Minister to discuss the contents of the package, said: "What I gathered from our meeting with Law Minister Farooq Naek in Lahore the other day is that the PPP feels no urgency and is poised to take a long time to get the package passed from parliament."

He said as far as the PML-N was concerned, its seven-member committee headed by Raja Zafarul Haq would finalise its deliberations on the package and give its recommendations to the PPP during the current week.

The PML-N leader also said that there was no possibility of a consensus between the two major coalition partners because their positions were fundamentally different. "We want restoration of the deposed judges through a National Assembly resolution while the PPP desires everyone to be involved in the approval of the package. We insist on having no link between the two but the PPP holds the other view," he said.

On the other hand, a senior PPP leader said it would not be advisable to expect a quick fix because when divergent views persisted on a key issue, time would be naturally needed to tide over them. To show haste in reinstating the sacked judges or clearing the 80-point package would not be prudent, he said and added thorough debate and discussion is the only answer to evolve a consensus.

However, another PML-N leader said his party was of the view that the PPP wanted to drag the sacked judges' return to an extent where, it believed, it would become a non-issue. The PPP wants to achieve this goal, he said and added that the PPP was unmindful of the fact that the matter would spill over to the streets after the lawyers' community would launches its long march on June 10. It is not ready to be watchful of consequences of "street activism", he said further.

Both the PPP and the PML-N know that they cannot pass the 18th constitutional amendment in the Senate, he said adding: "What is then the fun in presenting (the package) in the National Assembly?"

ANI