Govt teams reach out to JUI-F, PPP

Committees formed to approach political parties and seek support for proposed 22nd constitutional amendment bill

ISLAMABAD: The two high-powered committees formed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to approach other political parties and seek their support for the proposed 22nd constitutional amendment bill met with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Syed Khursheed Shah on Wednesday. 

The JUI-F chief was noncommittal on supporting the bill which, the government says, is aimed at making the Senate elections transparent, while the PPP leaders said they would get back to the government after discussing the bill in a party meeting.

One committee – comprising Railways Minister Saad Rafique, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, PML-N’s Senate nominee Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and PM’s Special Assistant Barrister Zafarullah – met Maulana Fazlur Rehman to seek his party’s support for the government move. The politico-religious leader, however, refused to make a commitment citing ‘government betrayal’ on the 21st constitutional amendment as the reason.



The parliament had approved with majority votes the 21st amendment to pave the way for trial of civilian terror suspects in military courts formed under the National Action Plan against terrorism. JUI-F lawmakers had abstained when the 21st constitutional amendment was put to vote in the National Assembly last month.

Coming out from the meeting with the committee, Maulana Fazlur Rehman told journalists that he would confer with his party before making any commitment on the 22nd constitutional amendment. However, he added that his party would not support any other amendments to the Constitution unless its reservations over the 21st amendment were addressed.

The influential cleric said that it was ‘immoral and undemocratic’ to suspect members of parliament before they commit any crime. “Political parties should take a decision if their members will not vote for their candidates,” he added.

Railways Minister Khawja Saad Rafique said he would convey JUI-F’s reservations on the 21st amendment to the prime minister. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman will consult his party and then get back to us on the proposed new amendment,” he added.

Responding to a question, he said the committee would also approach the PTI to seek support for the 22nd amendment. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has already telephoned PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen and the two sides have decided to meet on Thursday [today].

The second committee – comprising Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique – met Khursheed Shah and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf at the former’s residence. Speaking to journalists after the meeting Dar said an all parties’ conference (APC) might be convened in the next two days to evolve consensus for checking ‘horse-trading’ in the Senate elections.

PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari proposed on Tuesday that the government convene an APC to discuss the ‘important issue of hose-trading’ in the election for the upper house of the parliament.

Dar said the PML-N and PPP have agreed in principle to stop ‘horse-trading’ in the upcoming Senate elections. He added that all political parties would have to play their due role for this purpose. He urged the PTI to return to the parliament to play its constitutional role as a national consensus was required to get rid of this menace.

“The Constitution allows for an amendment to curb ‘horse trading’,” he said, adding that efforts were afoot to make the Senate elections transparent and fair.

In a related development, Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal threw his weight behind the government move for changing voting procedure for the Senate elections. “I’ll support ‘show of hands’ since my party’s policy is very clear on horse trading,” Mengal told a news conference at his residence in Quetta on Wednesday.

He added that Balochistan has always been called as the hub of political ‘horse trading’ in Senate elections because governments in the province have often been formed by powerful forces not by the will of the people.


Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2015.