LAHORE The National Assembly with a two-thirds majority has passed the 19th Amendment Bill, ostensibly giving more leverage to the legislators and trimming the CJPs powers in the appointment of judges. It did not addressed a host of other issues which directly affects the masses and merit consideration of the House, if not for amendment, but for any legislation in the public interest. The latest amendment has attracted mixed reaction. Senior jurist and member of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms SM Zafar says the assemblys decision is within the parameters set by the Supreme Courts verdict and also addresses reservations expressed by the apex court about the composition of the Judicial Commission while accepting the structure laid down in the 18th Amendment for the appointment of judges. The appointments under the 19th Amendment will largely boost public confidence in the judges, he observes. Farooq Amjad Mir, a former PML-Q MNA and senior jurist, sees the amendment falling in lines with the SC order and a joint venture of all parliamentary parties to maintain independence of judiciary. But another Fawad Ch of APML finds the House committee failing in giving due consideration to the point that in-camera proceedings ab-out the judges appointment goes against the principle of fairness and the lawyers demand for keeping the process open. Muhammad Azhar Siddique says politicians go by their interests no matter what it costs to the nation. Whether it is the question of raising salaries or adding to the privileges or allotting plots, the parliamentarians join hand rising above every other consideration and voice in unison. But mostly, they hardly pays attention to the public issues like price hike, increase in utility rates, law and order, illiteracy or absence of basic facilities unless they are compelled by their respective political interests to speak and take a stand on them. Corruption and bad governance are two major current issues inviting attention of the parliamentarians but they avoid them as long their respective parties are in the rule at any level and no adverse incident is forcing the one to confront the other. Another issue calling for the urgent attention of the legislators is the issue of dual office of the President of Pakistan which needs to be clarified in the context, whether the president as head of the state is also fit for holding the top office of his political party when constitutional demands this office to be neutral, impartial and without any political tilt. The issue has been tabled before a court in light of Article 45 of the Constitution by a private party, when the fact remains that it would have become a feather in the parliamentarians cap had they taken it up and settled down on their own. Without showing prejudice to the court proceedings, we can safely say that even a layman recognises the value of the presidents political neutrality as head of the state in a turmoil or when a political vacuum overtakes and the hazards if he blatantly projects his political side more than that of his constitutional office. Mr Zafar on this issue says to see the president strictly holding one office needs amendment with two-thirds majority which the ruling PPP would not like against its president. He says this and other issues can also be debated in the House. However, Zafar distinguishes between a political and an office of profit and says Constitution bars the president from holding office of profit and is silent about political office of the president. Farooq Amjad Mir favours having a debate on similar issues in the Parliament as he wants the presidents office symbolising the federation above party politics. There are also long standing issues like giving political rights to the people of Fata, which has to go a long way to solace them, and also ridding them of the FCR in the interest of bringing them in the mainstream of law of the land. The parliamentarians need to take up this matter and join hands to deal it as an issue requiring attention in view of the situation in tribal belt and the countrys stakes created by the war on terror. Not bad if the Parliament also adopts some constitutional legislation to check the politicians and others from coming under pressure of America or any foreign force and sharing the secret views with their officials as recently revealed through the WikiLeaks cables causing shame for the whole nation.