- Khursheed Shah says the decision taken by Bilawal will be final.
- Pakistan Peoples Party leader criticizes alleged harassment of parliamentarians.
- “The parliamentary party condemned the kidnappings and arrests.”
ISLAMABAD – As efforts to build consensus among all political parties continue ahead of the expected amendments to the Constitution, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated its president Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the party’s parliamentary leader.
This development comes at a time when Treasury members are seeking to gain the support of the opposition to vote on the twenty-sixth constitutional amendment, which focuses primarily on judicial reforms.
Speaking to the media in front of the Parliament building in Islamabad on Friday, PPP leader and Chairman of Parliament’s Special Committee on the Draft Constitution Khurshid Shah confirmed that his party has nominated Bilawal as parliamentary leader.
On the other hand, PPP leader Naveed Qamar submitted documents related to the election of the party president as Speaker of Parliament at the National Assembly office.
Under the Constitution, the parliamentary leader has the power to direct members to vote on constitutional amendments and finance bills and elect the Prime Minister or Speaker of Parliament in accordance with party policy.
Shah said that the decision taken by Bilawal will be final, and “God willing, the constitutional amendment will take place.”
“Hurry is not a good thing. Everything must be done calmly. This is the amendment for which 177 of our workers were martyred today,” he said, referring to the Karsaz bombing incident in Karachi in 2007. He said that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had returned to Pakistan to assume her duties. . Campaign for the same amendment.
He added: “We will not let these sacrifices be in vain.”
The senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party also condemned the incidents of alleged harassment of parliamentarians a day ago. To date, the entire parliamentary party has condemned the kidnappings and arrests.”
Khurshid expressed his hope that the PTI would submit the draft amendment today, and said parliamentarians should get permission to make their decisions freely.
The constitutional package aims, among other things, to establish a federal constitutional court and confirm the term of the Chief Justice of Pakistan for a period of three years.
The government had tried to introduce a draft law to amend the constitution last month, but its allies as well as members of the opposition benches strongly opposed the proposal, forcing the administration to begin the consultation process.
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.