Parliamentary committee meeting on constitutional amendments postponed as talks drag

The special committee meeting of Parliament on constitutional amendments has been postponed until October 17, according to an official notification.

The delay follows the submission of draft amendments by the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) being granted two more days to provide its recommendations.

The government is expected to introduce the constitutional amendment bill shortly after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's summit in Islamabad.

The seventh in-camera session of the special committee, chaired by Syed Khurshid Shah, convened at Parliament House. Representatives from both the government and opposition, including PTI, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), participated in the discussions.

Drafts from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), PPP, JUI-F, and ANP were reviewed during the session. PTI requested that its draft be forwarded to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, but its proposal for a comprehensive discussion on all drafts was declined.

Committee Chairman Syed Khurshid Shah instructed Federal Law Minister Nazir Tarar to ensure the sub-committee completes work on the constitutional drafts and provides final suggestions within the next two days.

Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui, Parliamentary Leader of PML-N, noted that all parties except PTI had submitted their constitutional drafts. He stated that PTI has been asked to prepare and submit its draft by October 17.

Opposition reaction

Following the meeting, PTI leader and opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan claimed no progress had been made during the two-and-a-half-hour session. He alleged that the government lacked a proper draft and accused the ruling coalition of attempting to weaken the Supreme Court and judiciary.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan expressed concerns about the health of the party's founder Imran Khan and stated that their protest call for October 15, 2024, in Islamabad remains in place if a meeting with the founder is not arranged.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of JUI-F, announced that significant agreement had been reached on the draft constitutional amendment. He plans to meet with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Karachi, Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, and PTI leadership in Islamabad in the coming days.

ANP's recommendations

ANP President Senator Aimal Wali Khan presented his party's draft for constitutional amendments to the parliamentary special committee. The ANP proposed removing "Khyber" from the name "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa" province. They also suggested legislating equal representation of federal and provincial governments in managing mineral oil and natural gas. Another key proposal was to amend Article 176 to ensure equal representation of judges from all provinces in the Supreme Court.

Khan strongly opposed the creation of provincial constitutional courts (Article 175B), arguing it would create an unnecessary financial burden. He pointed out that High Courts are already supported by various tribunals, including the Provincial Services Tribunal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority Appellate Tribunal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Authority Appellate Forum, and the Environmental Tribunal.

While the ANP president acknowledged that a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) is justified due to the Supreme Court's caseload from all High Courts, he emphasized the need for clear jurisdictional distinctions between the Supreme Court and FCC.

Khan also noted that while the proposed judicial commission's composition is balanced between judiciary and executive members, the 40-year age limit for High Court judges may compromise court quality and integrity.

MQM-P's proposals

A delegation from MQM-P met with the PPP at Sindh House, Islamabad. The meeting included Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Dr Farooq Sattar, and Syed Aminul Haque from MQM-P, while Senator Sherry Rehman and Dr Asim Hussain represented the PPP.

MQM-P presented its constitutional amendment proposals, focusing on empowering local bodies nationwide and providing constitutional protection for these bodies. The party representatives stressed that these amendments are crucial for solving public issues and improving governance at local levels.

The PPP delegation assured MQM-P that their suggestions would be presented to the party's top leadership. MQM-P representatives emphasized the necessity of constitutional amendments to address people's problems and announced plans for further meetings with PML-N and PPP.

Both parties agreed that these amendments are vital for addressing public concerns and enhancing local governance structures across the country.