ISLAMABAD, Jan 10: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Senator Babar Awan on Saturday said the 17th Amendment might be amended but not abolished because it “provides protection to some institutions of the country”.

Speaking at a ‘forms distribution ceremony’ for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) here, he said the government had already put forth a constitutional package for amending the 17th Amendment and was awaiting discussions on the issue with opposition parties.

He said a constitutional amendment bill required a two-third majority in parliament and for that cooperation from all political parties was necessary.

Mr Awan said that a series of pro-people legislation would be introduced in parliament.

Stressing the need for respecting all constitutional institutions, he said that although parliament had supremacy, yet the Constitution also provided independence to other institutions to fulfil their respective duties. “The government believes in independent functioning of all institutions.”

He said that all democratic institutions were working under the Constitution and the Pakistan People’s Party would ensure unity of the federation.

The minister said that democracy was gaining strength with the support of the masses and there would be no repeat of martial law. About the BISP, he said it was the biggest programme in the country’s history. He said that forms were being distributed among the needy people through parliamentarians without any discrimination.—APP