Pakistani parliament repeals ban on third time premiership

13:30, 9 April 2010

ISLAMABAD. April 9. KAZINFORM. The National Assembly (NA), the lower house of Pakistan's parliament repealed Thursday the ban on third time premiership and approved that the president will appoint army chiefs after consultation with the prime minister, official sources said; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

The lower house earlier in the day approved the clause of the 18th Amendment to slash president's power to dissolve the parliament under Article 58 (2)-b of the 17th Amendment, which had given sweeping powers to the president of Pakistan.

The NA also approves the clause to declare the Oct. 12, 1999 actions unconstitutional. Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf took power on Oct. 12, 1999, following a nonviolent military coup against the government of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The house also unanimously approved the abolishment of Article 270-A of the Constitution, removing the name of former dictator Zia-ul-Haq from the Constitution.

Analysts said that the repealing of the ban on third time premiership would allow Nawaz Sharif, who was twice elected as prime Minster of Pakistan, to be re-elected to the post for the third time; Kazinform cites Xinhua.

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