Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari was stripped of his sweeping powers on Thursday, as the country's senate approved by a two-thirds majority a "landmark" constitutional reform bill, which also wiped off changes made to the constitution by former military dictators.
The thumping passage of the amendment in the upper house came unanimously, with 90 out of the 100 members voting for it and none opposing.
By this thundering verdict by the lawmakers, the reforms package received a parliamentary approval as a week back it was overwhelmingly backed by the national assembly.
Zardari has already announced he would sign the legislation.
"It is a victory of democracy today," a jubilant Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani declared after the runaway vote.
"Approval of this constitutional amendment is a landmark in the constitutional history of Pakistan," he said.
Senate Chairman Farooq Naek announced the passage of the amendments as members thumped their desks. The bill transfers the vital powers of the president including the power to dismiss the prime minister and his cabinet, appointmilitary chiefs and judges.
Addressing the senate, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said several changes made to the constitution by dictators had left Pakistan with a government that was neither parliamentary nor presidential.
The 18th amendment bill would remove this ambiguity and strengthen institutions and democracy, Gilani said.
For the first time, the military was supporting democracy while remaining within its constitutional limits, he said.
Gilani said world leaders who attended the recent Nuclear Security Summit hosted by the US had praised the democratic spirit and political maturity shown by Pakistani politicians in endorsing the constitutional reforms.
The 18th amendment bill includes 102 clauses, including several that will transfer powers from the office of the president to the prime minister.
A two-thirds majority was required for the passage of the amendments by the senate.
The bill declared as illegal all measures taken by former President Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a bloodless coup in 1999 after dismissing the elected government of then premier Nawaz Sharif.
The bill also removed the name of former military ruler Zia-ul-Haq from the constitution, a measure that was welcomed by lawmakers with the thumping of desks.
Clauses that repealed the 17th constitutional amendment and Article 58 (2b) take away the president's power to dissolve the parliament, dismiss an elected government and appoint the three service chiefs.
Another amendment renamed the North West Frontier Province as Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, fulfilling a long-standing demand of Pashtun nationalists.
Senators from the PML-Q did not support the clause for renaming the North Western Frontier Province.
The bar on a person serving as prime minister for a third term was also lifted by an amendment.
The bill will now be sent to President Asif Ali Zardari to be signed and made part of the constitution.
Earlier, the senate rejected an amendment mooted by the Pakistan Muslim League-Q on renaming the NWFP.
The House also rejected a proposal for creating a new province comprising the southern part of Punjab province.
A parliamentary committee with representation from all major political parties had finalised the constitutional reforms package.
There has been little opposition to the bill.
Under the Pakistani constitution, constitutional amendments must be passed with a two-thirds majority both in the senate and national assembly.
