British Broadcasting Corporation
Pakistani protesters take street to oppose the National Reconciliation Ordinance, which gives protection to President Asif Ali Zardari and other law makers from corruption cases, in Multan, Pakistan on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 Critics of the president say the amnesty is unacceptable
Pakistan's ruling party has retreated from plans to win parliamentary support for a controversial law granting senior politicians amnesty from graft charges.
The move by President Asif Zardari was opposed by coalition allies and others.
Ex-president Pervez Musharraf brought in the 2007 ordinance by decree - the Supreme Court said MPs had to back it.
The amnesty was aimed at a possible power-sharing deal with Benazir Bhutto. She returned to Pakistan from abroad but was assassinated soon after.
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says the main beneficiary of the amnesty from graft charges has been Mr Zardari.
He spent years in jail after being convicted on corruption charges he says were politically motivated.
After his wife's death, Mr Zardari won elections in 2008 that led to him replacing Mr Musharraf as president.
'Legitimisation of corruption'
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) wanted parliament's approval for several controversial constitutional amendments made by Mr Musharraf.
These included the highly unpopular National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) granting blanket amnesty to politicians charged with corruption.
Our correspondent says the PPP's plans were postponed after an outcry from within the ruling coalition and opposition parties.
They called the NRO a "legitimisation of corruption".
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said President Zardari had chaired the meeting at which it had been "agreed that the amendments would not be introduced in parliament".
Instead, Mr Babar said, a thorough debate on the matter would be conducted with all major political parties.
The PPP climbdown followed a heated debate culminating in a walkout by major opposition parties from parliament on Monday.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N has led the protests.
Mr Sharif recently held a widely televised press conference in which he strongly opposed all amendments by Mr Musharraf.
He also asked Mr Zardari to step down in the "larger national interest" and face the courts.
Mr Sharif has also said that his party would not allow such "anti-democratic measures" to be introduced.
He says if the order was not abandoned, the PML-N would be forced to campaign against the government.
Print Sponsor
video Army 'dissent' over West Bank role
video Living the American dream
video 'Coma' man conscious for years
video Queen and Duke arrive in Bermuda
video One-minute World News
video Susan Boyle is mobbed in New York
video Nasa lasers measure Antarctic ice
video Birthday card joy for 110-year-old
video Queen set for Bermuda visit
video India and US are 'natural allies'
Chimneys silhouetted against the sun
Warming globeUS President Barack Obama and Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan Stanley McChrystal
Mardell's AmericaA man in the act of killing a buffalo
In picturesMost Popular Now | 19,271 people are reading stories on the site right now.
Quantcast
BBC © MMIX
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.watch One-Minute World News