PM took coalition MPs into confidence on constitutional amendments

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reportedly taken parliament members of coalition parties into confidence to vote for constitutional amendments in tomorrow’s session, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Sources close to the development revealed that during a dinner hosted for MPs from the ruling and coalition parties, the PM stressed the importance of their attendance at a crucial session scheduled for tomorrow.

Sources further revealed that the government plans to amend Article 63A of the Constitution in the session.

To secure approval for these amendments, the government needs a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament, which requires the support of 224 members in total.

In the National Assembly, the government currently has 214 members, meaning an additional 10 votes are necessary. Meanwhile in the Senate, the coalition has the backing of 60 members out of 85, with 64 votes needed for a two-thirds majority.

The government is considering passing all proposed amendments directly, and officials claim that they have secured the necessary votes.

However, the agenda for the upcoming National Assembly session, which includes six points, does not yet feature the constitutional amendment bill and it is expected to be introduced as a supplementary agenda.

Conflicting statements have emerged from government members regarding the constitutional amendments. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry of the PML-N indicated that no final decisions have been made on the amendment bill.

Conversely, Barrister Aqeel Malik, adviser to the Ministry of Law and Justice, asserted that the government has the required votes and will proceed with the amendments related to the judiciary.

PTI leader Latif Khosa criticized the government, claiming that even its members are unaware of the details of the proposed constitutional changes and argued that amendments should not be made without broad consensus.

Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar also expressed concerns, stressing that legislation should adhere to the constitution and that recent issues with missing MNAs should be addressed. He called on the Supreme Court to protect the rights of the MNAs who have been reportedly missing and unreachable.

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