PTI may 'conditionally' support amendment

Gohar Ali Khan says two party MPs are 'out of contact' ahead of voting

ISLAMABAD:

The PTI has conditionally agreed to support a constitutional amendment bill seeking sweeping changes in the country's judicial system.

According to sources, an effort was made to reach a consensus on constitutional amendments during a meeting of a Special Parliamentary Committee which was recently constituted to conduct the affairs of the National Assembly in a smooth manner.

The meeting, chaired by PPP's Khursheed Shah, was attended by Leader of Opposition in the NA Omar Ayub and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar.

According to the sources, the PTI presented its constitutional amendments before the panel, stating that if the government accepts their amendment, a consensus could be reached.

However, after the meeting, the PTI chief, while speaking to the media, stated that they "only listened [to other members] and offered no suggestions [at the meeting]". He said none of the suggestions of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who is a part of the committee, have been acted upon.

"The joint sitting of parliament is about to start, but no one has the bill. It is a 'dark of the night amendment' being conducted in the dark of the night."

"The government has not shared the bill with us even today. There is an attempt to weaken the judiciary, but the government did not say that the voting has to take place today," he said.

The PTI chief said they issued instructions to their MPs regarding voting on September 2. A complete file of these instructions has also been submitted to the NA speaker's office." He claimed that two of their MPs are out of contact.

"The special committee has been informed about the disappearance of these two members. Except for these two, all of our parliamentarians are in contact. We have pointed out that these two members have been made to disappear," he added.