Zardari hands over nuclear command to Prime Minister Gilani - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has transferred the powers he held as the chairman of the National Command Authority (NCA) to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, thereby handing over the nuclear command to him. "The shedding of powers by the president was effected through re-promulgation of the National Command Authority Ordinance of 2009 and also amending it," a statement issued by Zardari's spokesman, Farhatullah Babar said. Babar said the NCA ordinance is one of the other 37 ordinances which were promulgated before November 3, 2007, and was to be tabled in parliament within 120 days according to a Supreme Court directive. "The president had already urged parliament twice in his address to rid the Constitution of all anti-democracy clauses with a view to making it truly federal and parliamentary," Babar added. Zardari's latest step comes amid the continuous attacks on the Presidency being carried out by the rival political parties. With the opposition vying for his blood and a powerful military along with a hostile media, which regularly splashes reports about Zardari's corruption tale, it probably can not get worse than this for the President. Constitutionally, no harm can be done to Zardari as he cannot be served with any warrant, but there are leaders who believe that the President should himself step down and face the charges in order to maintain the dignity of the office. Uncertainty still surrounds Zardari's days in office, but one thing is sure that the ongoing anti-President campaign has weakened his clutch on power and is certainly distracting attention from the more important issue of militancy.