ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly lost contact with 12 of its lawmakers, including 2 senators and 10 members of the National Assembly (MNAs), according to party sources.
Opposition leader Omar Ayub confirmed that communication had been lost with 7 lawmakers, while PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan stated that he could not reach 2 senators.
The missing lawmakers include Zain Qureshi, Zahoor Qureshi, Aslam Ghuman, Usman Ali, Riaz Fatyana, Mukhtar Hussain, Chaudhry Ilyas, Aurangzeb Kachhi, Murad Zeeshan Khan, and Aniqa Mehdi.
Earlier, PTI’s Political Committee announced its decision to boycott the voting process for constitutional amendments in both the National Assembly and Senate.
The committee also decided to protest against any PTI members who take part in the voting, stating that the group currently holding the mandate lacks the moral, democratic, and constitutional legitimacy to amend the constitution.
In a concerning development, PTI expressed fears that two of its senators, Zarqa Taimur and Faisal Saleem, might vote in favor of the constitutional amendments, defying the party’s stance. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan mentioned that he had learned about this possibility.
In a separate event, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the draft constitutional package would be presented to the federal cabinet for formal approval.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the Law Minister mentioned that proposals from JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had been included in the draft.
He also briefed the cabinet on the detailed discussions around the constitutional amendments and shared the stance of allied parties.
A series of meetings took place on Saturday at Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad, with notable attendees including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, and BNP (Mengal) leader Akhtar Mengal.
The sessions of the National Assembly and Senate were delayed, and the presentation of the constitutional amendments was deferred to Sunday.
