Constitutional amendment: Bilawal warns opposition of ‘brute majority’ legislation

HYDERABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that he will be compelled to take “controversial path” for the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment 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 they failed to evolve consensus on the proposed constitutional amendments “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 have the amendment passed with the support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and other members (through political manoeuvres),” 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 other members if opposition refused to evolve consensus on the draft.

He said he will talk to the interior minister and arrange PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar’s meeting with Imran Khan.

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.

“It is necessary for us to establish a forum for the equal representation of all provinces but if the opposition shuts the door on us so then I will be compelled to take the ‘controversial path,’ which is not my favourite path and I tried not to take it, along with my allies to form constitutional bench at the federal and provincial level,” he added.

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.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that they can no longer wait and compromise. I will present the draft of the PPP in the assembly itself, I will go to Islamabad and agree for the last time. If not with the opposition, then the support of allies will do it with a majority of two-thirds and on December 27, when we will meets in Garhi Khuda Bux, one unit will end

Bilawal said, “I am making a request to Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI, I will go to Islamabad tonight and request Maulana Sahib that the constitution was made by you and my elders, vote the day after tomorrow if you can bring PTI together, bring it, let’s do the work of making a constitutional bench together.

“It is the request of Pakistan People’s Party that think of the future and not of today, know that we are all playing in the political space in the country. We all have a duty to respect Parliament, otherwise our constitution will be abused in the future,” he added.

Bilawal Bhutto said that whatever I could do, I compromised and took the middle way. PTI demanded that a meeting with whoever the prisoner number is should be allowed and arranged

Bilawal Bhutto said,” You will have to accept our demand and create a court of equality, keep your name for the court but fulfill our demand. All efforts are being made to make this constitution like the 18th amendment, I have been working day and night with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and political parties for two months.