ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called on President Asif Ali Zardari and took him into confidence on the final draft of the constitutional amendment package prepared with the help of the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman.
According to sources, both PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Zardari also discussed the parliamentary strength for ruling coalition in both houses of the Parliament to get passed the Constitution amendment package.
Both the leaders also discussed the efforts underway to woo the opposition PTI for constitutional amendment package. Both leaders are expected to meet again on Saturday on the prevailing situation.
After a flurry of meetings throughout Friday, the federal government failed to table the controversial constitutional package before both the houses of the parliament for another day with PTI saying that it has almost reached a consensus on a proposed draft after talks with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The party said it would make a final announcement today after getting instructions from jailed PTI chief Imran Khan on the draft of constitutional amendments shared by the government.
We have almost reached a consensus on a draft of the constitutional package after talks with Maulana, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Ali Khan while talking to reporters following his meeting with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
He said they would visit the party chief today to have a discussion with him.
According to details, it is likely that PTI leaders as well as senior lawyers including Gohar Ali, Salman Akram Raja, Senator Hamid Khan, and Senator Ali Zafar would meet former prime minister Khan in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to brief him over the draft on which it reached a consensus with the JUI-F.
PTI has also got an assurance from the government for making arrangements for such a meeting as earlier there was a ban on all visits of Khan till October 18.
The sources privy to the development informed that the PTI had still reservations on a proposal of the draft regarding appointment of next chief justice of the Supreme Court among a panel of three senior most judges. The party has told Maulana that it would agree to the proposal if Khan approved it.
On the other hand, the JUI-F has agreed to the proposal but wants to implement it next time after the appointment of senior most judge Syed Mansoor Ali Shah as the next CJ.
In his media talk, Gohar said that they had received a fourth government sponsored draft on Friday, which seeks changes in 26 articles of the constitution. “While we were in the middle of reviewing the draft, we got a news that the special parliamentary committee has approved the same,” he said, adding that PTI MNA Amir Dogar and JUI-F representative were present in the committee when the draft was approved
He confirmed that the draft that was approved by the special parliamentary committee was the same one under discussion with the JUI-F.
“We have not been allowed to meet Imran for two weeks,” chairman PTI said, adding that the personal physician of Khan had not been allowed access to the jailed politician.
“In the meeting, we will present a final version (of the draft) before Khan and make an announcement in the light of his instructions,” Gohar said.
Responding to a question, the chairman PTI said they had no formal meeting with Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Maulana’s residence. He said Bilawal was present there to meet with the JUI-F chief, not with them. “He only met with us before his departure but we had no discussion with him over the draft.”
Meanwhile, PTI dispelled the impression that a meeting of the special parliamentary unanimously approved the draft of the proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment amid presence of the PTI. “I want to talk on record, I opposed the draft openly in the meeting,” said PTI leader Malik Amir Dogar.
I told the committee that PTI would give its stance over the draft following a meeting with the JUI-F, he said. He added that PTI at any stage would support the amendment only with the approval of party chief Khan.