This is from Jang-Geo group who are always playing role in favor of N$.
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**Which foreign player threw spanner in the works?’ **
By Rauf Klasra ISLAMABAD: The foreign minister of a European country is said to have quietly played a role in delaying the tabling of the 18th Amendment in Parliament, fearing that the proposed “demolition” of the office of the president through these sweeping changes might not be good news for all the stakeholders of the state.
One credible source has revealed that apart from this overseas intervention, which immediately halted the otherwise smooth proceeding, the military establishment too was not happy with the unprecedented autonomy being given to the provinces in the new constitutional package as it sent alarm bells ringing within the ranks of powerful establishment for some obvious reasons.
One top source claimed that the controversy over the mode of appointment of judges, seen as the main reason behind the PML-N’s sudden U-turn, was just an eyewash. He said every member of the parliamentary committee knew very well that the PML-N had completely agreed to this mode of appointment of judges as even Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary had appreciated this new system and the media had carried his remarks the same day when Nawaz Sharif blocked the move to table the bill in the house. The sources said this issue was used to cover the real story behind this dramatic shift in the mind of top guns of the PML-N.
Giving inside information, one source revealed that the foreign minister of a European country made telephone calls to some politicians in Pakistan, urging them not to show haste in passing this constitutional package, as there were some reservations in the minds of certain players, which should be discussed and addressed before giving the package a final shape. The foreign minister was of the opinion that the office of the president was a sort of balancing factor between the military and the civilian leadership in a country like Pakistan. The concentration of massive powers even in the hands of a democratically elected prime minister would not be a wise decision at this stage. It was argued that in the past, the country had seen some unpleasant events because of power imbalance, which led to the imposition of military rule.
The sources said the office of the president was being reduced to such a shocking level through these amendments that now he would be required to first seek approval of his foreign trips from the prime minister. Likewise, the prime minister would be asked to give approval to run the kitchen of the Presidency. The sources said traditionally the military establishment had felt comfortable with the president enjoying powers to dissolve the National Assembly and make appointment of the service chiefs. To prove the point how the military dealt with prime ministers with such powers, the source said the first time these sweeping powers were vested in Zulifkar Ali Bhutto under the 1973 Constitution, he was hanged by the military. Then Nawaz Sharif got the same powers in 1997 when he tried to become Amirul Momineen, he was sent into exile. On the other hand, the military never felt any threat from the political prime ministers when these powers were in the hands of the president, as we saw in the case of Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Farooq Leghari, whom the Army backed against elected prime ministers.
The sources said in this background, there were certain fears in the minds of some key players that though PM Gilani might not become an autocrat but who would guarantee that Nawaz Sharif, if he became the prime minister for the third time, would not try to repeat his performance of October 12, 1999.
Likewise, the source said, the military was not happy with the extraordinary level of provincial autonomy being offered to the provinces as, in some cases, they were being allowed to frame their own laws without seeking any advice from the Federation. The sources said the military still was in favour of a strong federal role in the affairs of the provinces in the given situation as it always suited its strategic interests. The rising wave of nationalism in Balochistan was a serious cause of worry for the military establishment and it was still not in a mood to allow the nationalist forces to play a dominant role in the provinces. Likewise, the establishment feared rise of nationalism in the NWFP after renaming of the province. All these factors were on the minds of those who were quietly trying to get this bill either delayed or changed to suit their interests.
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