• The minister states that four to five points must be agreed upon; The parliamentary panel receives a draft from the JUI-F; the PTI remains opposed and does not submit any proposals; refuses to cancel the protest on October 15; JUI-F claims that its draft is in line with PPP, with the exception of the constitutional court; Tarar states that the new CJP must be announced by October 24 in ISLAMABAD: Despite the fact that the majority, with the exception of the PTI, agreed to modify the procedures for the appointment of superior judges, the special parliamentary committee was unable to reach a consensus on the constitutional package. The JUI-F advocated for a “constitutional bench” rather than the government’s proposal for a constitutional court.
In light of reports that the constitutional package would be presented to parliament by October 25, the committee, which includes PTI representation, met for the second day in a row on Saturday.
The JUI-F provided the committee, led by PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah, with a draft of its proposed amendments a day after the PPP made its draft proposals public.
The committee will meet again on Monday (tomorrow) in an effort to reach a consensus. The chair will set up a subcommittee to review the government and opposition party drafts.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Barrister Ali Zafar are members of the sub-committee, which will submit its recommendations to the parliamentary committee. PPP’s Farooq H. Naek; and Kamran Murtaza, leader of the JUI-F
The parliamentary panel will meet again on Monday in the hope of reaching a consensus.
According to a member of the coalition in power, homework will be completed in secret meetings. “We may have a consensus document ready before Monday’s meeting, leaving the PTI aside,” they continued.
Irfan Siddiqui, senior leader of the PML-N, told reporters after the meeting that the committee was close to agreeing on constitutional amendments because major political parties were on the same page. He stated that consensus on constitutional amendments was the primary objective of the special parliamentary committee.
He noted that recent meetings had brought a positive outlook and expressed optimism regarding the ongoing discussions with the JUI-F. He stated that the government’s draft, which included suggestions from bar associations and the legal community, had been finalized.
Even though it supports the broader constitutional amendments, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) also submitted a separate draft that focused on local government reforms.
Senator Siddiqui stated, “The PTI is the only party that has not submitted anything in writing.”
PPP-JUI consensus According to JUI-F leader Kamran Murtaza, the constitutional court is the only difference between the JUI-F and PPP drafts. The JUI-F has proposed a sacred seat rather than a protected court, he said. He added that the JUI-F has no objections to the PPP’s remaining draft.
The leader of the JUI-F stated that the party opposed the constitutional court because it would be inappropriate to create a separate court for only 200 cases.
“We are trying to bring the constitutional amendment with consensus,” stated Senator Sherry Rehman, the PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate.
PPP pioneer Raja Pervez Ashraf repeated Mr Murtaza’s idealism, noticing that JUI-F boss Maulana Fazlur Rehman had recommended drafting a joint proposition with the PPP, which would be shared soon. ” The situation is changing in the right direction. Stay positive,” Mr. Ashraf said, adding that the Oct. 25 deadline had nothing to do with the discussions about amending the Constitution.
Azam Nazeer Tarar, the minister of law, emphasized the significance of dialogue in reaching an agreement on amendments. He stated that the constitutional amendment could be presented after October 25 or even two months later. He said conversations were progressing on four to five places in the panel.
Responding to an inquiry concerning the warning in regards to the arrangement of the new CJP, he said the cutoff time for this was Oct 24, adding that the notice of the new boss equity had forever been given a little while before the arrangement. He noted that the notice of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s appointment was issued a little earlier due to the caretaker government’s arrival.
Barrister Gohar, Chairman of the PTI, confirmed that his party had not yet submitted a draft. He stated that proposals should be discussed with the party’s founding chairman.
Dawn was told by an informed source that the PTI flatly rejected being asked to cancel or at least delay its plan for protest on October 15 during the meeting of the special parliamentary committee.
In light of the solicitation, PTI pioneer Omar Ayub Khan said PTI activists were being bothered and assaults were being completed at their homes. ” Omar Ayub was quoted as saying, “Our constitutional right is to stage a protest in these circumstances.” He claimed that it had never occurred before.
Debunking the claim, Senator Irfan Siddiqui recalled the day he was picked up from his home during the PTI government.
“Unfinished agenda”: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari shared the PPP’s draft of the constitutional amendments in a message on social media platform X and asked for meaningful public feedback.
He stated that the goal of this proposal was to complete the Charter of Democracy’s unfinished judicial reform agenda. A Federal Constitutional Court with equal representation from all federating units is what we propose.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari expressed, “We likewise propose finishing the course of arrangement of the adjudicators, by the appointed authorities and for the appointed authorities. Instead, we give equal power to parliament, the judiciary, and the legal community by combining the judicial and parliamentary committees.
The PPP and JUI-F discussed proposed constitutional amendments at Zardari House in a related development.
