The government’s efforts to introduce the 26th Constitutional Amendment faced a setback in just the initial phase, as the federal cabinet meeting, where the amendments were to be approved, has been postponed.
The postponement has been attributed to the government’s inability to secure the backing of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Therefore, according to sources, it is unlikely the government will move the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill in today’s sessions of parliament, which had been re-convened to especially table the bill.
Due to the setback, normal proceedings continued in the National Assembly where a three-point agenda was scheduled for discussion, according to the sources. The sessions of both the National Assembly and the Senate resumed behind schedule and were later adjourned indefinitely.
The government has consistently faced disappointment in gathering enough support in parliament to get the crucial judiciary-focused constitutional amendments passed.
The ruling coalition parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), had directed their members to ensure their presence, hoping to table the amendments today.
The federal cabinet was scheduled to convene today at 10:30am to approve the draft law on judicial reforms. Concerns raised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have cast a shadow over the government’s ability to secure consensus on these reforms.
The Maulana has expressed dissatisfaction over what he termed as a lack of consultation and haste in drafting the constitutional amendments. He emphasized that it is preferable to consult all political parties before finalizing any draft.
The government has made several attempts to convince the JUI-F chief to support the proposed amendments. Meetings between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and other senior leaders with Maulana Fazlur Rehman have so far yielded no results. Even Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari promised progress, but with little to show for it.
