ISLAMABAD:
Hectic and last-minute efforts are being made by the government to seek support from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at providing legal protection to over two dozen MPs. The lawmakers in question were elected during a period when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had an incomplete body.
Sources in the PML-N said that opposition senator Ishaq Dar and Federal Water and Power Minister Syed Naveed Qamar were holding talks in Islamabad to evolve a consensus over the bill.
“Negotiations are going on…we are hopeful that we’ll find some middle ground. A consensus is in sight but not an immediate possibility,” the sources added.
Earlier this month, the government moved the 20th Amendment Bill in order to provide legal cover to the actions of the chief election commissioner (CEC) during a time when the ECP was incomplete according to definitions provided by the 18th Amendment.
The amendment directed the government to appoint a permanent election commission body comprising the CEC as well as one retired High Court judge from each of the four provinces.
The government appointed four retired High Court judges as members of the ECP last year. However, the posts remained vacant from April 2010 – when the amendment was passed – till their appointment in June 2011. During this period, by-elections were held for a number of parliamentary seats, despite the ECP being virtually incomplete.
On January 30, the National Assembly standing committee on law and justice had approved the draft of the 20th Amendment bill even while the opposition PML-N boycotted the meeting.
The PML-N is pressing the government to have a nonpartisan, neutral and independent ECP by inducting an impartial CEC and to get new election laws enacted before the next parliamentary polls.
The lower house is going to meet this evening (Wednesday) and the bill is likely to be tabled before the house as the Supreme Court had told the government that if the amendment was not adopted by Feb 6, the election of 29 MNAs and MPAs may be declared illegal.
The bill is likely to be approved by the federal cabinet, scheduled to meet today (Wednesday).
The bill is also likely to be passed by both the National Assembly and Senate, possibly by the end of next week, irrespective of PML-N’s stance. The government’s allies — Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party and members from tribal areas — are all likely to support the amendment.
The combined strength of allied partners should allow them to comfortably meet the two-third majority needed in both houses of parliament to pass the amendment.
PML-Q’s Riaz Fatiyana and MQM’s Iqbal Qadri have already voiced their support for the amendment during the committee’s meeting, indicating their respective parties will be on board to support the bill when it comes to the National Assembly and Senate.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2012.
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