ISLAMABAD - The constitutional package, which was seemingly on a backburner, has once again become a priority of the country’s ruling parties to land the consensus draft in the parliament. The ruling party with the support of allies is working on moving the 26th amendment in both the houses of the parliament (National Assembly and Senate) after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The legal and constitutional gurus in the ruling parties are near to evolving consensus, at least in allied partners, over the controversial package by the end next week of the current month, background discussions with senior members and parliamentary experts revealed. For further deliberation to the move the draft in the parliament, a special parliamentary committee chaired by PPP’s senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah likely to hold an important meeting today. All the parliamentary parties will be invited to share their input regarding the 26th constitutional amendment The government in the first attempt failed to secure required strength to pass the constitutional package from the parliament as JUI-F chief with his 13 votes (08 National Assembly 05 Senate) was not agreed to support the government. Now, the government in its second attempt set to move it in the parliament after the SCO summit but before ensuring the required strength in the house.
According to the constitutional amendment (26th amendment ), which is also known as judicial package, most of the amendment are related to the judiciary. In around a dozen proposed amendments in the draft, which is still not finalized, the coalition govt apparently wants some modification by introducing constitutional court which remained under severe criticism last month.
This key proposal is being considered as a parallel federal Constitutional Court, alongside the top country in the country.
Another controversial amendments, in the controversial draft, is related to increasing the retirement age from 65 to 68. The proposed amendment related to giving free hand to parliament for using their right of vote as per their own will might also be included in the draft to get it stamped from the parliament.
Another judiciary related amendment, in the circulated draft, was related to giving power to the prime minister to appoint the Chief Justice of the constitutional court and Supreme Court. Other clauses related to dealing with pending cases , appointment of Chief Election Commissioner , bar on dual national to be appointed as judge of apex court etc are included in the half-cooked draft.
Sources said that the government will hold another round of talks after the SCO summit. The votes of relgio-political party (JUI-F) are still important to pass the amendment from the parliament.