ISLAMABAD -  The government is under pressure to fix responsibility regarding the blunder made in the finality of the Prophethood clause in the constitution.

There were demands to hold the responsible people accountable, as it could not be mere a clerical mistake. The passage of amendment regarding the finality of Prophethood (Khatm-e-Nabuwat) was necessary and now responsibility should also be fixed, lawmakers mainly from the opposition shared their views with The Nation.

The lawmakers said that the issue about changing the wording in the bill was not mere a cleric mistake.

About the statement of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Federal Minister Akram Durran, they said the government should take action on it. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on last Wednesday also asked former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to immediately sack the people responsible for making changes in the law.

The lawmakers from government and opposition Thursday amended ‘The election act 2017’ by restoring the word “Oath” instead of “Declaration” in the nomination paper about the finality of Prophethood (Khatm-e-Nabuwat).

The statement of objects and reasons of the amended bill, moved by Minister for Law Zahid Hamid says: “in order to avoid controversy, there is a consensus among the political parties in the National Assembly that the original text of ‘Declaration and oath by the person nominated”, included in original form-1A should be restored in toto”.

Talking to The Nation, PPP’s Shazia Marri said that it was mainly responsibility of the government as blame cannot be shifted to the parliamentary committee. “It was not a private member’s bill at all,” said Marri, pointing out thrice changing statement of Minister for Law Zahid Hamid on it. “The blame cannot be shift to the committee,” she said mentioning that incumbent government never hesitate to take credit of even any resolution passed by it.

When contacted, PTI’s Shehryar Afridi said it was an offence bigger than ‘Panamagate’. “I propose a Joint Investigation on this offence as it was not a clerical mistake at all,” he said.

Afridi also supported Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif‘s  demand for taking action on this matter. “There will be no compromise on it. We [lawmakers] will ask government to fix responsibility,” he said.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Minister for Housing had asked to take action on this matter.

MQM-P’s Ali Raza Abidi proposed that a joint committee of National Assembly and Senate comprising lawmakers from the government and opposition should be formed to investigate the error. “A report should be submitted within one week for action against the culprit,” he said.

Senator Maulana Hafiz Hamdullah said that JUI-F made efforts to even block it in the Upper House of parliament. “I had moved amendment in the Senate but it was not approved,” he said.

When contacted, Independent MNA Jamshed Dasti said that Minister for Law Zahid Hamid should immediately resign from his seat. “Why this big blunder was committed,” said Dasti mentioning that it could be the agenda of ‘Modi’ and ‘Trump’.

Likewise, other MNAs also demanded complete parliamentary enquiry to punish the responsible people behind it.

Former prime minister Zafarullah Jamali, on the floor, strongly criticised Minister for Law Zahid Hamid about the mistake in the bill.

The incumbent government the other day (Monday) adopted the ‘Election Bill 2017’ in the National Assembly amid strong protests from the opposition.