A package of proposed constitutional reforms drafted by Pakistan’s ruling PPP aims to give only the Prime Minister the powers to authorise the use of nuclear weapons or to declare war, apparently in a bid to prevent situations like the Kargil conflict of 1999.The reforms package, approved with certain modifications by PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday, has been provided to the party’s allies in the ruling coalition to get their views.Law Minister Farooq Naek met PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in Lahore this morning to discuss the proposed constitutional amendments.Under the changes outlined in the package, which is expected to be introduced in parliament soon, only the Prime Minister will have the power to declare war or authorise the use of nuclear weapons, official sources told Dawn News channel. The move to give exclusive powers to Prime Minister to declare war is aimed at preventing the Pakistan Army from repeating Kargil-like operations, the sources said.Some analysts believe the move will also help in preventing religious leaders from issuing ‘fatwas’ or decrees for waging ‘jehad’.After imposing emergency last year, President Pervez Musharraf issued an ordinance that made him head of the National Command Authority (NCA), which is responsible for the development and control of atomic weapons. When the NCA was set up in February 2000, its chief was the “head of the government” or the Prime Minister.Leading Pakistani defence analyst Lt Gen (retired) Talat Masood said, “Pakistan has a parliamentary form of government. The Prime Minister is really supposed to be the head and he is supposed to declare war”. “He is supposed to be the final authority on the use of nuclear weapons,” he said. The constitutional reforms package includes a provision for a 30 per cent quota for judges of subordinate courts for appointment in the superior judiciary.
