All main political parties including the opposition announced on Friday their intent to reach a consensus and create a “joint draft” for constitutional amendments, revealed Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday.
The development took place after days of deadlock.
“Constitutional Package” aims to establish a federal constitutional court and set the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) tenure to three years.
The government had initially planned to present the amendment bill last month, but opposition from both its allies and opposition members led to a consultation process instead.
The sources, however, mentioned that the PTI had not yet issued a statement regarding the meeting, noting that Imran Khan, currently in Adiala jail, would provide the “final statement” after meeting with party leaders.
Fazl shared that this was the first time the government had presented its draft for constitutional amendments to his party. His comments followed a meeting of the Special Committee of Parliament that discussed the proposed changes.
The fifth in-camera meeting included participants such as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians, and federal ministers.
Fazl noted that the PPP had offered suggestions, and consultations with the government would commence. He indicated that the JUI-F would also hold separate discussions with the PPP and share its draft with the PTI to work towards a consensus.
However, he did not specify when the constitutional matters would be resolved, stating that the agreement on proposed amendments was the first step.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar mentioned that various suggestions had been presented to the committee, emphasizing that the previous uncertainty has been addressed.
He elaborated that the amendments would clarify the authority and structure of the judicial commission, as well as discuss the establishment of constitutional courts and the transfer of judges.
In a press conference following the meeting, Bilawal expressed that all parties shared their views and that the PPP had presented its draft to the committee while the government updated them on consultations with legal bodies.
Bilawal reiterated Fazl’s desire for a joint draft and emphasized the need for all political parties to agree. He noted that the law minister expressed confidence in having the necessary support for the amendments.
He questioned how long the government would wait to finalize the joint draft, considering other pending tasks. Additionally, Bilawal urged the JUI-F to present its draft to the PPP.
He confirmed that the ruling coalition agreed not to bring forward constitutional amendments before the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit scheduled for October 15 and 16 in Islamabad.
The reports indicated that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPP had made considerable progress in their discussions, reaching a consensus on the proposed amendments during a significant meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal at the Punjab House.
