NA committee to resume consultations on constitutional amendments tomorrow

The National Assembly's special committee is set to resume consultations on the 26th Constitutional Amendment, with a meeting called for Friday. The session will be chaired by PPP’s Syed Khursheed Shah, according to sources.

All parliamentary leaders from both the government and opposition have been notified to attend the meeting. Sources suggest that both sides are expected to present their proposed drafts on the amendment during the session.

The meeting will review the drafts from both the government and opposition regarding the proposed changes to the Constitution. However, the session is limited to members of the National Assembly, with no invitations extended to senators for Friday’s meeting.

Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met in Islamabad to discuss judicial reforms and constitutional amendments. Both leaders agreed to present the amendments in parliament after further consultations, with a timeline to be determined in coordination with other political parties.

The PML-N delegation included Marriyum Aurangzeb, Rana Sanaullah, and Ahsan Iqbal, while the PPP delegation comprised Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Khursheed Shah, among others.

Proposed amendments to Constitution

According to an earlier working paper on the 26th Constitutional Amendment, one key proposal includes the establishment of a Federal Constitutional Court parallel to the Supreme Court. The amendment also proposes transferring the authority to appoint the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court to the Prime Minister, based on recommendations from an eight-member National Assembly committee.

Additionally, the proposal includes amendments to Article 48, preventing courts from questioning advice given by the Prime Minister or Cabinet to the President, and changes to Article 63, which would ensure that votes cast against party instructions are disregarded.

Further changes suggest the creation of the Federal Constitutional Court under Article 78, with seven judges representing each of Pakistan’s provinces and federal capital, along with two expert judges. Judges of this court will retire at the age of 68, with terms for the Chief Justices limited to three years.

The amendments have sparked widespread debate, with coalition partners raising concerns over the secrecy surrounding the drafting process. The government insists the reforms aim to strengthen judicial independence and uphold the rule of law.