Bilawal warns of 'controversial path' if opposition refuses to support constitutional package

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday said that he will be compelled to take “controversial path” for the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment in parliament if the opposition parties refused to support his efforts to pass the judicial package with consensus.

"I myself making last attempt to convince the opposition parties to vote for the constitutional amendment in a non-controversial way," he said while addressing a rally in Hyderabad held to mark the 17th anniversary of Karsaz incident.

The PPP chief said if he failed to evolve consensus on the proposed constitutional amendment “then we all have to pray for the country’s democracy”.

"If the opposition still refuses to support us despite so many compromises then I will be compelled to pass the amendment with the support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the extra members," the PPP chief said.

He added that he will have to pass the 26th constitutional amendment in parliament via "brute majority" with the support of extra members if opposition refused to evolve consensus on the draft.

Last month, the coalition government made a futile attempt to pass the constitutional package. However, the government failed to even table the amendments in parliament after the JUI-F chief refused to support the government's judicial package, leaving the contentious amendments hanging in the balance.

To pass the constitutional amendments, the government needs two-thirds majority in parliament, with sources claiming that it was short of 13 votes in the National Assembly (NA) and nine in the Senate.

The PPP leader, last week, said that the government had the option to secure the magic number under "conscience voting".

“Despite this, efforts are being made to reach a consensus,” Bilawal had added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the top court on October 4 set aside its earlier opinion on Article 63(A) — a clause which deals with defection by lawmakers — as a five-member bench led by CJP Isa unanimously allowed a review petition, filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association.

The move paved the way for defecting votes to be counted.

Referring to his recent meetings and consultations with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other political parties in the backdrop of much-touted constitutional amendments, Bilawal said: “They said there will be a constitutional bench but not court. I said let’s make bench but there should be equal representation [of provinces] in the bench.”

Highlighting the “historic” verdicts of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, the PPP chairman said that he even accepted their demand that the top judge should not be given extension.

“CJP Isa provided justice to Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto,” he said, adding that no other judge could dare to give such a verdict which he gave after hearing the “Faizabad Dharna case”.

“Justice Qazi Faez Isa sahib! the nation salutes you.”

Reacting to the PTI leadership’s demand about a meeting with incarcerate PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to discuss the draft of the constitutional package, Bilawal said: “I have arranged their meeting with the prisoner.”

The PPP chairman further said that he did not know whether they visited Khan in the prison or not as PTI has linked its decision on constitutional amendment to their meeting with the party founder.

Political leaders reach ‘consensus’ on constitutional amendment

Earlier today, the special parliamentary committee — comprising government and opposition members —"unanimously approved" the draft for 26th constitutional amendment, said PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah.

The announcement was made after the special committee formed to debate the contentious judicial package met under the chairmanship of Shah.

Speaking to the reporters, Shah said the draft would be presented in the federal cabinet meeting tomorrow for approval.

"The draft has been approved unanimously," he said adding that the committee has also agreed on allowing overseas Pakistanis to contest the elections.

Leaders from all major political parties, sans Awami National Party’s Aimal Wali Khan, were present in the meeting.

Addressing the parliamentary party meeting, Bilawal also said that a consensus had been reached in the special parliamentary committee regarding the constitutional amendments.

The PP chairman emphasised the party’s commitment to getting these amendments passed in parliament, saying that one of the unfinished items from the Charter of Democracy would also be completed.

He mentioned that the PPP, PML-N and JUI-F had already reached a consensus on the draft of these amendments.