Islamabad: Pakistan's Parliament today (Dec 30, 2003) ratified General Pervez Musharraf's modified Constitutional amendments and endorsed his election as President through a referendum with two-thirds majority, partially ending a year-long political deadlock between the Government and the Opposition.

The 17th Constitutional amendment, consisting the provisions of his agreement with Islamist alliance Muttahida Majlis-e Amal (MMA), was approved by the 100-member Upper House called Senate with 72 votes to none.

The 342-member National Assembly already approved the Musharraf-MMA pact two days ago.

The ratification, however, would only partially end the political deadlock in the country as the mainstream Opposition parties including Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) denounced the agreement as the mullah-military pact to subvert Democracy in the country.

The two parties, which were part of the 15-member Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), boycotted the voting in the Senate.

The MMA, which till recently was opposed to Musharraf's Presidency along with ARD and boycotted the Parliament for over a year, agreed to approve his controversial amendments and his election through a referendum last year, after he agreed early this month to quit as Chief of Army by December 2004.

The Bill would become part of Constitution after Musharraf formally sign it.