Constitutional amendments: Draft approved unanimously, PPP claims, PTI denies

ISLAMABAD: Syed Khursheed Shah, the chairman of the special parliamentary committee formed to deliberate the proposed constitutional amendments, said that it approved the draft ‘unanimously’, ARY News reported.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Amir Dogar who is also a member of the committee; however, denied Syed Khursheed Shah’s claim and said that the draft was not passed unanimously as he opposed the same.

The special parliamentary committee comprised of government and opposition members and headed by Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Syed Khursheed Shah.

Chairman Khurshid Shah presided over a parliamentary special committee meeting in which all parliamentary parties were represented.

The committee held its meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, PTI’s  Amir Dogar, Jamiat Ulame-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Shahida Akhtar Ali, Irfan Siddiqui of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Syed Aminul Haq of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP’s Raja Pervez Ashraf and Sherry Rehman, Chaudhry Salik Hussain of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and others.

“The draft has been approved unanimously,” Syed Khursheed Shah said after the meeting. He said that the draft will  be presented in the federal cabinet meeting on Saturday for approval.

Earlier, the PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F agreed on the proposed constitutional amendments pertaining to judicial reforms after hours-long meeting at the Jati Umra in Lahore on October 17.

The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while speaking to newsmen after the meeting.

The bigwigs of PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F held a detailed discussion on the proposed 26th constitutional amendment.

The meeting held at the Jati Umra, the Sharif brothers’ residence in Lahore, attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and others.

“There has been a consensus among the three parties on judicial reforms, Ishaq Dar said and added that after the reforms, the judicial system will provide speedy justice.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the consensus has been reached to the extent of judicial reforms. “Efforts are being made  to agree on other points as well” he added.

During the meeting, three different drafts of the constitutional amendments—each presented by three parties—. PPP’s Khursheed Shah, who heads the parliament’s special committee on the constitutional amendment, also presented the recommendations.