Senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, who is spearheading a special parliamentary committee to deliberate the much-touted constitutional package, claimed on Friday that consensus had been achieved within the body.
The Senate and the National Assembly are set to convene in the evening today as the government is expected to move forward with the package. The Constitutional Package is legislation proposing a set of constitutional amendments, including the extension of the chief justice’s term.
A special parliamentary committee formed last month has the representation of all parties, including the PTI. Various proposals have been discussed by the committee, with the PPP having made its draft public on October 11, following which it reached a consensus with the JUI-F.
A day after the heads of the PPP, PML-N and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) met at Jati Umra, Shah told media persons on Thursday that the PML-N, JUI-F and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan seemed to be in agreement. On the other hand, the PTI said it would not share its proposals without getting a sign-off from its incarcerated founder Imran Khan.
A meeting of the special committee was convened today.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Shah said: “The committee has unanimously accepted the bill that was presented today.”
Shah said the draft was now sent to the federal cabinet for approval. To a question about the package being presented in parliament today, he said that would only happen after the cabinet passed it.
While the government seemed confident of introducing the amendment draft in the Senate today, the plans face the challenge of maintaining support from Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who in a media talk with PTI Chairman Gohar Khan last night threatened to walk out of negotiations over alleged harassment of opposition lawmakers to secure support for the bill.
In a late-night development on Thursday, today’s sitting of the National Assembly — originally scheduled for 11am — was rescheduled to 6pm.
Separately, according to a notification issued by the Senate secretariat on Friday, the Senate session adjourned for 2pm today will now meet at 6pm.
The Constitutional package was not part of the NA agenda, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.
PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, while speaking to reporters yesterday, had said that most of the amendments had been agreed upon and it was likely that a “full consensus” would be reached.
“The amendments will be presented in the Senate tomorrow,” Senator Siddiqui had said.
Bilawal vows to pass 26th Amendment
Separately, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he had good news to share while addressing a joint parliamentary party meeting in Parliament House.
He announced that a consensus was reached on the constitutional package between the PPP, the JUI-F and the PML-N.
“This will be the last weekend you’ll have to spend on this (the constitutional package),” Bilawal said. “I am trying to ensure that all parties reach a consensus on the 26th Amendment as quickly as possible.
“The promises made in the charter of democracy will be fulfilled, God willing and the legislation will be passed, the PPP chairman said.
Bilawal said that Khursheed Shah’s parliamentary committee had several complaints during a meeting yesterday, adding that they have been conveyed to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
“When the PPP, PML-N and JUI-F announced that they had reached a consensus, the complaints that surfaced afterwards were upsetting and we condemn them,” the chairman said.
“We hope that Mr Shah’s committee can ensure that these complaints do not surface again in the future, he added. “A consensus has been reached between the PPP, JUF-F and Muslim League. God willing, we will ensure that the legislation is passed by our political strength.”
Opposition claims facing intimidation
Members of opposition parties in both houses of parliament have decried the alleged harassment of their lawmakers, with the PTI claiming that its members were being offered up to Rs3 billion for their support to the amendments.
The PTI has announced a country-wide protest to be featured at pre-decided locations in all big cities after the Friday prayers today.
In the National Assembly, Omar Ayub said that the ruling coalition did not have the required numbers in parliament to get the amendments passed.
PTI’s Asad Qaiser claimed that members were being offered bribes ranging from Rs1bn to Rs3bn.
Responding to the PTI, Information Minister Attuallah Tarar claimed that the party had “kidnapped its members itself” and that they were being held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the PTI is in power.
The issue came up after Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of his chapter of the Balochistan National Party, alleged that two senators from his party, including a woman, were being “mistreated” to secure their votes for the proposed tweaks.
BNP-M’s Naseema Ehsan, who attended the Senate sitting, was so disturbed that she found it difficult to narrate details and just said: “The sanctity of chador and chaar diwari has been violated.”
