Party to change system: Zardari

ISLAMABAD - Peoples Lawyers Forum (PLF) Wednesday assured Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, that they would support the constitutional package to be tabled before the Parliament after consultation with the coalition partners.

The lawyers from Punjab and NWFP having affiliation with Peoples Lawyers Forum met with Asif Ali Zardari at Zardari House and assured him of their full support efforts of the party for reformation and strengthening of institutions.

Asif Ali Zardari said that his party had made commitment with the people of Pakistan that it would strive to change the system and the draft constitutional package was a move towards achieving this end.

Addressing the meeting, he said that the package that the PPP government was planning to present was aimed at restoring the supremacy of the Parliament and introducing a system where executive would be made answerable to the people.

He said that the PPP not only wanted to restore the deposed judges but also wanted to introduce comprehensive constitutional reforms, so that in the future all institutions of the state should work in accordance with their roles defined in the Constitution.

He reminded that Benazir Bhutto had sacrificed her life for bringing democracy in the country and stressed that it was right time for introducing a constitutional package. He also warned that if this opportunity was not availed the nation would not spare the party.

The participants of the meeting informed Zardari said that they were at the forefront of the judges' restoration movement since March 9, 2007 and turned it into a countrywide struggle. The constitutional reform package was required to settle such issues once and for all, they added.

It was decided in the meeting that the draft of constitutional package would be presented at the Peoples Lawyer's Forum meeting on May 31 to take the lawyers' feed back.

The lawyers also paid glowing tributes to Benazir Bhutto for her struggle and sacrifice of life for the cause of democracy.

Prominent among those who assisted Zardari in the meeting included Federal Minister for Law Farooq H Naek, Secretary General of the party, Jehangir Badr, Khurram Khosa Advocate and others.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People's Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that the government will continue to work with multilateral institutions to introduce economic reforms in the country with its prime focus on the welfare of the people.

He was talking to a delegation of World Bank (WB) which called on him here on Wednesday.

The delegation was led by the WB's Vice President Praful C Patel, while the other members of the delegation included Yusuopha Crookes, Country Director Pakistan, Said Habsy, Operation Advisor for Pakistan, and Robert Floyd, Country Coordinator for Pakistan.

The PPP Co-Chairman urged the WB officials to consider increased funding for Pakistan for investment into projects like canal lining that could be helpful for water conservation, and small dams so that more arid land could be brought under cultivation by providing water for irrigation. He stressed that the benefits of such projects should reach wider rural segments.