ISLAMABAD - Ignoring the public bashing of Nawaz Sharif by Pakistan Peoples Party leadership, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is making serious efforts to take the former onboard in getting some key legislation through the Parliament.
As per the constitution, any constitutional amendment required two-thirds strength in both the houses of the Parliament. The ruling party has well over two-thirds majority in the Lower House but it has far less number of senators and therefore cannot get any amendment passed from the Upper House without PPP’s help.
Sources in the ruling party confirmed that they were in contact with the Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah and some other key PPP leaders, discussing the issues pertaining to electoral reforms, and removal of some controversial articles from the constitution - particularly articles 62 and 63.
The PPP had not shown much opposition to the passage of constitutional reforms bill from the National Assembly despite the fact that most of the amendments proposed in the bill were rejected by the ruling party.
Sources aware of the developments said that both the ruling PML-N and the PPP had developed tacit understanding on certain issues pertaining to electoral reforms as the proposal to engage all the parliamentary parties sitting on opposition benches in picking the caretaker setup and appointment of chief election commissioner and its members did not suit either of them.
Right now it is the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly who pick caretaker setup.
Sources said that some senior PML-N leaders were in contact with Khursheed Shah and some other PPP parliamentarians to discuss the removal of some contentious articles inducted in the constitution during dictatorial regimes.
Recently leader of the ruling party, ex-PM Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified as member of the parliament by the Supreme Court under article 62.
Therefore, the public stance of the PPP on revoking or amending articles 62 and 63 is that the party would not support any person-specific amendment; however, it is supportive to remove all the changes in the 1973 Constitution introduced by late Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen (r) Musharraf.
PPP leaders Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are running a camping and making relentless efforts to invigorate the party which has been losing its public appeal for last many years and has shrunk to its political base in Sindh. So, they cannot afford to be seen as PML-N collaborates in any controversial matter.
A senior PPP leader recalled that when the deliberations for bringing the 18th Constitutional amendment were underway, the PPP along with some nationalist parties - including the Awami National Party (ANP) - proposed deletion of articles 62 and 63 from the Constitution, and it was the PML-N and some religio-political parties which opposed the move.
Political analysts said that it would not be possible for the PPP to openly support removal of articles 62 and 63 from the constitution right now but both sides were engaged in negotiations as how to go about these changes and what else the PPP would want in lieu of its support to PML-N in this.
Sources in the Parliament informed The Nation that PPP wanted slashing down of the term of assemblies from five to four years. They would also want some other amendments pertaining to new accountability laws and some other pending legislation for extending any help to the government for removal of articles 62 and 63.
Parliamentary sources said that actually the PML-N was not interested in repealing of articles 62 and 63 from the constitution altogether but wanted some changes - especially they wanted to introduce some clear definition of words “Sadiq” and “Ameen” give a definite time limit for the disqualification under Article 62 - as right now there is no mention of disqualification period under this article.
The federal law minister had already expressed the government’s intention to bring some changes to articles 62 and 63 for which a detailed debate on the issue was sought at the parliament.
Sources in the Parliament informed The Nation that PPP wanted slashing down of the term of assemblies from five to four years. They would also want some other amendments pertaining to new accountability laws and some other pending legislation for extending any help to the government for removal of articles 62 and 63.
Parliamentary sources said that actually the PML-N was not interested in repealing of articles 62 and 63 from the constitution altogether but wanted some changes - especially they wanted to introduce some clear definition of words “Sadiq” and “Ameen” give a definite time limit for the disqualification under Article 62 - as right now there is no mention of disqualification period under this article. The federal law minister had already expressed the government’s intention to bring some changes to articles 62 and 63 for which a detailed debate on the issue was sought at the parliament.