ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday night adjourned the NA session with making any legislation as Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) refused to support the government’s proposed constitutional amendment and asked it to discuss it in the parliament in detail.
Soon after the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, Naat and National Anthem, the Speaker asked Bilal Kiyani to move a motion under Article 288 to suspend the Question Hour and Calling Attentions for September 15 and 16.
Bilal Kiyani moved the motion under Article 288 for suspending Question Hour and Calling Attentions notices for September 15-16. The Speaker put the motion to the House which was adopted and thus the NA session adjourned to meet again on Monday without taking a single agenda item.
Process of intense consultations among political parties on the proposed constitutional package continued in the federal capital on Sunday.
The government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar visited the residence of JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman where two sides held detailed discussions on the constitutional and legal matters.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi were also present during the meeting.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the PPP Parliamentary Party in the National Assembly was also held in Islamabad.
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Assefa Bhutto, Syed Khurshid Shah and others attended the sitting, which deliberated upon different constitutional and legal matters.
Similarly, the Parliamentary Party of JUI-F also met with Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the chair.
It exchanged views on different matters related to proposed constitutional amendment.
A meeting of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Parliamentary Party was also held with MQM leader Maqbool Siddiqui in the chair. It discussed different aspects related to constitutional matters.
A delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also visited Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence.
It is pertinent to mention that sessions of both Houses of the Parliament were also scheduled tonight.
The government has ntended to table the constitutional package in the parliament to strengthen the judicial system of the country.
Earlier, Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) refused to support the government for passing the proposed constitutional amendment and asked it to discuss it in the parliament in details.
Talking to media outside the Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s residence here on Sunday, Hyderi said that the government has yet not shared the draft of the proposed constitutional amendment.
He further said that they would also meet the other opposition parties in the parliament and deliberate the bill, adding that they asked the government not to hasten, and delay the passage the bill. The Maulana said that if the government wanted to pass the amendment hurriedly, the JUI-F would not back the bill.
Meanwhile, the government’s proposed constitutional amendment bill was expected to be presented in the National Assembly session scheduled for Sunday (today), according to sources.
Sources said that the amendment aims to establish a constitutional court and modify Article 63-A of the Constitution, which addresses the defection of lawmakers.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed in the Senate that the bill aligns with the Charter of Democracy, which all political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have endorsed.
Additionally, the amendment proposes raising the retirement age of superior judges by three years. Currently, Article 179 states that Supreme Court judges retire at 65, and Article 195 sets the retirement age for High Court judges at 62.
The government is also considering changes to the seniority rule for appointing the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), as confirmed by Barrister Aqeel Malik, the government’s spokesperson on legal affairs.
Currently, Article 175A mandates that the most senior Supreme Court judge is appointed as CJP. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary leaders, Khawaja Asif and Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui, have written to party members, urging them to vote in favor of the amendment. They emphasized the importance of every member participating in the vote.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has also directed its members to attend the session and vote according to party instructions. Meanwhile, the NA has released a six-point agenda for today’s session, including a motion of thanks for President Asif Ali Zardari’s address and other legislative matters.
A federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will take place at the Parliament House, where the draft of the amendment is expected to be approved. An in-camera session of the Special Committee on Constitution and Parliamentary Affairs, led by Syed Khursheed Shah, will also discuss the bill.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed hope for some consensus on the amendments, while criticizing PTI for not respecting the Constitution or cooperating with other parties. He also emphasized that the amendments are not aimed at extending the tenure of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa but are part of broader reforms to restore balance between the judiciary and the parliament.
In the Senate, opposition leader Shibli Faraz referenced Article 63-A, which governs party defections, in response to Senator Dar’s request for support. Farooq H. Naik argued that the Supreme Court had overstepped its authority by rewriting the Constitution in a previous case, instead of interpreting it.
