ISLAMABAD – All the major political players have geared up their efforts to clear the impediments in the way of Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms so that the task of constitutional amendment could be accomplished in the second half of January 2010, background interviews with the leaders of main political parties and sources revealed.
The sources aware of the deliberations of the committee meeting informed TheNation that now the members of Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms was discussing the contentious issue of constitutional reforms and once the members would evolve consensus on it then the only hurdle in the way would be the renaming of NWFP as besides both Q and N Leagues, Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam of Fazlur Rehman was against renaming of NWFP as Pakhtoonkhawa.
The sources in Pakistan People’s Party said that there were no difference whatsoever on scrapping of 17th Constitutional Amendment or Article 58(2)b and the only contentious issues were the level of autonomy to be offered to provinces and renaming of NWFP.
The sources said that now Pakistan Muslim League has taken upon itself to play a lead role in bringing the parties on some common ground on the issue of renaming of NWFP and working out differences on the provincial autonomy.
The sources in PML-N informed that the meeting of Fazl with PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif was part of the move to take all the stakeholders onboard who have reservations on renaming of NWFP as Pakhtoonkhawa.
The meeting of Awami National Party (ANP) Federal Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour with Mian Nawaz Sharif in Lahore was also on the same issue as Bilour was tasked by his party president Asfandyar Wali Khan to convince PML-N leadership on the issue.
The sources in ANP said that as Ghulam Ahmad Bilour was considered to have very cordial relations with Mian brothers so he was tasked by party President Asfandyar Wali Khan to convince him on renaming of NWFP as Pakhtoonkhawa or some other name mutually acceptable to all stakeholders in the province, a source in ANP informed.
The sources said that after having a word with ANP leadership, PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif would be meeting the NWFP chapter of his party on today (Saturday) to reach at some conclusion regarding renaming of NWFP.
The sources in the party disclosed that most likely the PML-N leadership would come up with something concrete on the issue after Saturday meeting of the party in Islamabad.
The sources in the PML-N disclosed that at present besides Pakhtoonkhawa the names of Afghania, Khyber and Abbaseen were under consideration and efforts were underway to evolve consensus of all the concerned parties on any of these names.
The sources further said that the issue of provincial autonomy was currently under review of the committee and hopefully the matter would be resolved in first week of January while the renaming of NWFP is likely to be settled by that time.
If both these hurdles would be removed by the first week of the January the proposed constitutional reforms agenda would be tabled before the Joint Sitting of the Parliament to be summon in the next half of January.LINK