Embattled President Asif Ali Zardari late on Friday transferred control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and said he intended to strip the presidency of more powers by year-end.

Zardari gave up his control over the nuclear arsenal by re-promulgating the National Command Authority Ordinance and amending it, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

“Transferring the chairmanship of the National Command Authority to the Prime Minister is giant step forward to empowering the elected Parliament and the Prime Minister,” Babar said.

Zardari also said that the 17th Constitutional amendment — which gives the President powers to dismiss the Premier and dissolve Parliament — will be done away by December.

“We wanted to abolish the 17th amendment from day one but we wanted to do it through a unanimous decision, (just) as the 1973 Constitution was approved unanimously,” he said, referring to the Constitution framed during the tenure of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Former ruler Pervez Musharraf was responsible for creating the National Command Authority and pushing through the 17th constitutional amendment to give himself sweeping powers. Following the re-promulgation of the National Command Authority Ordinance, the Prime Minister will chair the body that controls the nuclear weapons.

Under an order issued by Pakistan’s Supreme Court in July, the government was required to get several ordinances issued by Musharraf endorsed by Parliament by November 28.

Since the government was unable to do so due to pressure from political parties, Zardari re-promulgated 27 ordinances. Babar said these ordinances were re-promulgated on the advice of Gilani as they could not be passed by both houses of Parliament within the deadline of November 28.

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