In a hard-hitting speech on Friday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari beseeched the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and opposition to support the much-touted constitutional package, warning otherwise of using the “brute majority” despite earlier saying a consensus was achieved.
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.
The PPP and JUI-F had reached an agreement on a shared draft of the amendments on Tuesday. Bilawal reiterated the same in an earlier talk today.
However, while addressing a PPP rally in Hyderabad later in the day, Bilawal said: “I want to do this [enacting of legislation] with the opposition. I am going to Islamabad and making a last effort to compel the opposition parties to come and vote together, whenever it is held, in an uncontroversial manner for uncontroversial lawmaking.”
Otherwise, he warned that “if the opposition still cannot support us after so many compromises then I will be forced to enact legislation with the PML-N and their extra members through brute majority.
“So that is why it is necessary for us to form a forum for equal representation. I want to do that with the opposition but if it closes the doors for me, then I will have to walk on the path with our allies that is controversial and not my favoured one that I have always tried to avoid.”
He stressed that the above would be the “controversial” way to pass the amendments and would lead to further political instability in the country while casting controversy on the constitutional bench as well.
However, Bilawal said the PPP had been kept waiting and could wait no more or make more comprises. He said he would present the PPP’s draft in the National Assembly and attempt to convince all other parties on it to pass it.
Otherwise, he vowed that he would get the draft passed through the “government’s two-thirds majority”.
Bilawal said that no matter what it was called, either a bench or a court, the PPP was demanding a federal constitutional court with equal representation.
He said the PPP was striving to ensure that the amendments were passed in a similar manner to the 18th Amendment with consensus, adding that he was engaged in talks for the past two months with Fazl and other parties.
“Now it is a test for political parties. We did whatever was possible of us,” he said, adding that he had accepted many of the demands made and asking what more he could do.
“I want that this legislation is enacted today and immediately but I don’t want to do it alone. I want to do it with Fazl, PML-N and all political parties sitting in parliament. I did whatever was possible of me. I compromised and found the middle path, what more can I do?”
He said there were two paths before him now, saying that the government had decided that it had waited as long as it could.
“The options in front of me are either that the government brings the bill and the numbers will be complete depending on those who are voting based on their conscience, even though our friends in the opposition won’t be there, and then we make a court of the PML-N’s choice.
“Or it is still possible today, I don’t know if it will be tomorrow or the day after, that the PPP’s draft which has been accepted by the PML-N and JUI-F … I am requesting the opposition, JUI-F, PTI and all others that it will be the first time in history that legislation is going to be enacted on the basis of the majority instead of political consensus.
“I am saying with my hands held together that don’t force us to go on this path.”
He said he would go back to Islamabad tonight, meet Fazl and request one final time for his support for the PPP’s draft.
“Come with us and give your vote tomorrow or the day after and let us fulfil our promise in a democratic, uncontroversial and better way. If you can bring the PTI with you then do so and come we will together establish this constitutional bench.”
He said the PPP was requesting other parties to consider the future.
“This is the last opportunity for all political parties: come to your senses. Political parties have compromised and we have united. The legislation that will be enacted now should be based on that [consensus].”
Earlier, Bilawal 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. He said it was the PPP’s effort to ensure the amendment’s passage through parliament after achieving consensus between all political parties.
“We are going on to fulfil the promises made in the Charter of Democracy that could not be lived up to until today.”
Bilawal said senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah had taken notice of several complaints during yesterday’s special parliamentary committee and conveyed them to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
“When the PPP, PML-N and JUI-F announced that they had reached a consensus, the complaints that surfaced afterwards are upsetting and we condemn them,” the PPP chairman said, referring to the opposition’s claims of its lawmakers being harassed and strongarmed.
“We hope that 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, JUI-F and PML-N. God willing, we will ensure that the legislation is passed by our political strength.”
Bilawal also held a meeting with Fazl at the latter’s Islamabad home.
While the government seemed confident of introducing the amendment draft in the Senate today, the plans face the challenge of maintaining support from Fazl, who in a media talk with PTI Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar 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 was changed for 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.
Consensus almost reached after talks with Fazl: Barrister Gohar
Meanwhile, Barrister Gohar said the party had almost reached a consensus on a draft after talks with Fazl. Addressing the media after a meeting with Fazl, he said the party was close to reaching a consensus with the JUI-F, adding that the PTI aimed to present a draft to founder Imran Khan for his approval.
“We have almost reached a consensus with Maulana sahib. When Imran Khan provides his input tomorrow, we will present that draft,” Gohar said.
“On Imran Khan’s request, we have had meetings with Maulana sahib,” Gohar said while talking to the media after a meeting with Fazl.
“We hoped that we would reach a consensus yesterday. Today, we met Maulana sahib to reach that consensus,” he continued.
“We were in the middle of talks when the special committee announced it reached a consensus on the 26th Amendment. We received the fourth draft and talks are underway.”
He said the draft on which consensus was achieved in the special parliamentary committee was the same one under discussion with the JUI-F.
The PTI chairman added that the party would submit a request to meet Imran tomorrow so he could approve the final draft.
“We have not been allowed to meet Imran for two weeks,” Gohar said, adding that PTI doctors had not been allowed access to the incarcerated party founder either.
“According to his input, we will present our final version.”
However, speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan with Shahzad Iqbal’, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja slammed the most recent draft of the constitutional package, terming it an “attack on the Constitution and judicial freedom”.
“We have not reached a consensus with the government on the amendments and have engaged a great deal with Maulana Fazlur Rehman,” Raja said. “We do not accept the latest draft which was presented in the special committee, we have major problems with it.”
Raja said that how the constitutional bench would be formed in the proposed draft allowed the government to choose its composition. “The power to appoint the chief justice of Pakistan from the three most senior judges has been granted to the government,” he criticised.
Asked about Barrister Gohar’s earlier press conference, Raja acknowledged that “most things have been agreed on” except for two points.
“There is disagreement on how the government is trying to weaken Article 8 and the amendment that allows high court judges to be transferred from one court to the other,” he elaborated. “We are glad these are being removed.”
He added: “If the PPP or PML-N have reached a consensus then that makes sense since the government is getting the power to pick who sits on the constitutional bench.”
The PTI secretary general added that the party only received the draft today and would meet the JUI-F at 9pm to discuss it. “We will not accept the way this bench is being formed. I certainly don’t,” he maintained.
Asked how the bench would be formed, Raja outlined that a chief justice would be picked by a parliamentary committee accompanied by four judges, four parliamentarians, the law minister and representatives from the Pakistan Bar Council.
“If you look at how this committee will be formed, it shows how much control the government has over the bench,” Raja warned. “We cannot accept or agree with this. It will be an attack on the constitutional system and judicial freedom.”
Raja added that the PTI had yet to receive permission to meet Imran, alleging that the government was trying to distance him from his family, lawyers and doctors. “We will go to court again to fight this.”
PPP’s Khursheed Shah claims committee unanimously accepts draft
Earlier, Shah, who is spearheading the special parliamentary committee, claimed that consensus had been achieved within the body.
A day after the heads of the PPP, PML-N and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) met at Jati Umra, Shah had 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.
Later, Barrister Aqeel Malik, the government’s legal adviser, said that the draft for the constitutional package would not be presented today as it was still in the process of being approved by the cabinet.
Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan with Shahzad Iqbal’, he said the draft needed to be approved before it could be brought to parliament.
“There needs to be CCLC (Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases) approval. Once that happens it will be presented in either house,” he explained.
“If the cabinet approves the draft, it can be presented in the Senate tomorrow,” Malik said, clarifying that constitutional amendments could be initiated in both houses. “We’re not expecting it to be passed today,” Malik said.
Asked about the numbers needed to pass the amendments, Malik maintained that the government had the required number of lawmakers it needed.
“The special parliamentary committee closed its proceedings today and a consensus has been reached on the current draft,” he said. “We are in a comfortable position with our numbers. The JUI-F have the magic number.”
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.”
