- Heavyweight politicians gather at Nawaz’s residence.
- The parties hope to approve the amendments
- Fazal says he will meet PTI leadership in Islamabad.
LAHORE: Political heavyweights — the Sharif brothers, President Asif Ali Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — reached a consensus on judicial reforms during a late-night meeting at Sharif’s family residence Jati Umra in Lahore on Wednesday.
President Zardari and Maulana Fazl visited the residence of Muslim League President Nawaz Sharif to attend a dinner held in honor of the political leaders.
Key attendees at the important meeting included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, and Maulana Asad Mehmood of JUI-F. . .
Following the late-night consultations on the constitutional package, Fazal, Bilawal and Dar spoke to the media.
Maulana Al-Fadl announced that a consensus had been reached on judicial reforms, with further consultations underway on additional proposals.
He added that he would meet the leadership of the PTI movement after his return to Islamabad, and their inputs would be incorporated in the constitutional amendment.
Al-Fadl reiterated his party’s previous rejection of the initial amendment, stressing that this position has not changed.
He stressed the importance of resolving major issues through comprehensive discussions. “If we engage in detailed dialogue on key issues, the country and the Constitution will be protected,” he said.
Bilawal thanked Maulana Fazl for his role, noting that while the PPP and JUI-F had already agreed, three political parties had now reached a broader consensus. He added: “We seek the supremacy of the constitution through the constitutional courts and demand speedy justice.”
“At the appropriate time, we will ensure that the proposed amendments are passed by both houses of Parliament,” the PPP leader added.
Dar also confirmed that the three parties agreed on judicial reforms, with the expectation of agreeing on other proposed amendments in the coming days.
The previous day, the PPP and JUI-F had finalized a draft of the proposed 26th constitutional amendment.
Maulana Al-Fadl announced, during a joint press conference with Bilawal, that the agreement came after intense deliberations between the two parties. He praised Bilawal for playing a pivotal role in bringing parties together on the issue.
The constitutional package aims, among other things, to establish a federal constitutional court and limit the term of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to a period of three years.
Last month, the coalition government’s attempt to pass a “closely guarded” constitutional package faltered amid speculation about the possible extension of the Justice and Development Party’s term, Qazi Faez Issa.
However, the government was unable to put the amendments before Parliament after Maulana Al-Fadl refused to support the judicial package, leaving the controversial amendments unresolved.
To approve the constitutional amendments, the government needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament, while sources indicate a shortage of 13 votes in the National Assembly and nine in the Senate.
NA, Senate sessions were called today
The federal government has called separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate on October 17 (today) – the day immediately after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit where the ruling coalition intensified efforts to introduce a much-touted constitutional package in the country. Parliament.
President Asif Ali Zardari called for the National Assembly session to be held on October 17 (Thursday) at 4 pm, while he called for the Senate session to be held on October 17 (Thursday) at 3 pm, the press wing of the President’s Secretariat said in a statement. Newspaper on Wednesday.
The coalition government has left no stone unturned to reach consensus on the controversial ‘constitutional package’ with all political parties holding regular meetings of the Special Parliamentary Committee – a body led by Pakistan People’s Party MNA Syed Khurshid Shah – to discuss the proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment.