Pakistan Ruling Party Completes Plan To Amend Constitution

Pakistan's main ruling party is moving ahead Saturday with plans to curtail the powers of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

The Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) is meeting to discuss a 62-point plan designed to restore the country's constitution to its original form.

Party leader Asif Ali Zardari said Friday the package of amendments would also help reinstate judges fired by Mr. Musharraf during emergency rule.

Zardari said expects the plan to come up for a vote before parliament in the near future.

Constitutional amendments require the approval of two-thirds of parliament.

Earlier this week, Zardari told the Press Trust of India he is facing tremendous public pressure to remove the president from office, calling Mr. Musharraf a relic of the past.

The PPP leads a coalition government that has vowed to restore judges. But Zardari and coalition partner, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, remain deadlocked on how to restore the judiciary.

Mr. Musharraf fired the judges last year after they questioned the legitimacy of his re-election as president while serving as Pakistan's top military officer.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.