Islamabad, October 11, 2024 – The National Assembly’s special committee meeting on constitutional amendments ended without any breakthrough, as the deadlock between political parties remains unresolved. While the government presented its draft for the 26th constitutional amendment, both Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have yet to submit their respective proposals.
The lack of consensus on the proposed amendments has prolonged the deadlock. The committee is set to reconvene tomorrow at noon to continue deliberations.
The meeting, chaired by Special Committee Chairman Khursheed Shah, saw the participation of key figures, including Shahida Akhtar Ali from JUI-F, Sherry Rehman and Ijaz-ul-Haq from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan, who arrived from the U.S. to attend. Government Senator Abdul Qadir also left Boston to be present for the session in Islamabad.
Additional attendees included Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Anusha Rahman, Senator Kamran Murtaza, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who later joined the meeting at Parliament House. Maulana Fazlur Rahman was also in attendance.
Members of PTI’s allied parties—Barrister Gohar, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Amir Dogar, and Raja Nasir Abbas—also participated in the discussions.
During the session, Maulana Fazlur Rahman confirmed that the government had formally presented the draft for the 26th constitutional amendment. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled the proposal, emphasizing the government’s efforts to foster consensus. However, he noted that it is uncertain when an agreement might be reached.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Tarar explained that the government had shared its draft along with input from bar associations. The proposal includes provisions for establishing a constitutional court and reforming the judicial commission, including mechanisms for holding judges accountable for non-performance.
He further noted that PTI had requested additional time to review the draft and had not yet provided its feedback. Despite repeated requests, Maulana Fazlur Rahman has also not submitted his draft for consideration.
The special committee will meet again tomorrow to continue efforts toward resolving the impasse.
