The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Sunday that it will not support the highly anticipated Constitutional Package as the government prepared for a parliamentary vote today. This package includes proposed constitutional amendments, such as extending the term of the chief justice.
A special parliamentary committee, formed last month and representing all parties, including the PTI, has been examining various proposals related to these amendments. A meeting was set to take place on Saturday to discuss the judicial reform package, but both houses of parliament experienced delays and were adjourned before midnight.
According to the Senate secretariat, the upper house will reconvene at 3 PM today, while the National Assembly has scheduled its session for 6 PM. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar indicated that a cabinet meeting, initially planned for Friday, will occur today before the Senate session to address the constitutional amendment. He noted that a revised draft of the amendment would be presented to the cabinet for approval before it goes to both houses for a vote.
When asked about whether JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would receive more time for discussions, Tarar confirmed that it would happen today. After meeting with PTI leaders, Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed a positive response from Imran Khan regarding the amendments, extending his gratitude for keeping the PTI informed on developments related to the package.
Despite these discussions, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan mentioned that the party would meet with Fazl today, while Barrister Ali Zafar of the PTI stated that the party would refrain from voting on the constitutional amendments. The PTI’s political committee has decided to boycott the voting in both parliamentary houses should the government present the amendments today.
The federal government is confident in having enough lawmakers to pass the 26th constitutional amendment. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized that, despite these numbers, it is crucial to ensure a broad consensus and constructive debate on every clause during such amendments. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated this stance, stating the government is committed to achieving consensus in both houses, despite already having the necessary numbers.
