PTI 'loses contact' with 12 lawmakers ahead of constitutional amendments

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly lost contact with 12 of its lawmakers, including 2 senators and 10 members of the National Assembly (MNAs), ARY News reported citing sources.

According to sources within the party, opposition leader Omar Ayub has confirmed that they have lost contact with 7 lawmakers, while PTI chairman Barrister Gohar has stated that he has lost contact with 2 senators.

The lawmakers include Zain Qureshi, Zahoor Qureshi, Aslam Ghuman, Usman Ali, Riaz Fatyana, Mukhtar Hussain, Chaudhry Ilyas, Aurangzeb Kachhi, Murad Zeeshan Khan, and Aniqa Mehdi.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Political Committee announced that it will boycott the voting process for constitutional amendments in both houses.

According to the official statement, the committee also decided to protest against PTI members of the National Assembly and Senate who participate in the voting process.

The PTI Political Committee stated that the group that has taken hold of the mandate lacks moral, democratic, and constitutional justification to change the constitution.

READ: PTI announces to boycott voting for constitutional amendments

In a startling revelation, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed concerns that two of its senators may vote in favor of constitutional amendments against the party’s policy.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that it was learnt that the party’s two senators Zarqa Taimur and Faisal Saleem would vote against the party policy.

“I think our two senators Zarqa Taimur and Faisal Salim are going to vote against the party policy,” Barrister Gohar Ali said.

In a separate development, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the draft of constitutional package will be presented before the federal cabinet today (Sunday) for formal approval.

Talking to media in Islamabad, along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, he said proposals of JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been incorporated in the draft.

READ: ‘Two PTI senators may defy party policy on constitutional amendments’

The Law Minister said he apprised the Federal Cabinet about the threadbare discussion on the constitutional amendment. He said the stance of the allied parties was also presented in the cabinet meeting.

Yesterday, after a series of meetings at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad and delayed starts of the National Assembly and Senate sessions, the presentation of the constitutional amendments draft was deffered to Sunday (today).

Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence remained the centre of attention throughout Saturday as it was visited by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, heads of different political parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Balochistan National Party (Mengal) head Akhtar Mengal.