ISLAMABAD (PEN) : The government has decided to retain the special parliamentary committee to oversee and guide discussions on proposed constitutional amendments, parliamentary stability, and respect for parliamentary members.
According to government sources, in the future, the final decision on proposed constitutional amendments will be taken by the parliamentary committee, including having the final authority on the proposed 27th Amendment.
Sources also reveal that the government aims to take all political parties into confidence on the constitutional matters. For the proposed amendment, ongoing consultations within coalition partners, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), will continue, it has been agreed.
Government representatives have confirmed that the coalition will also reach out to other political parties on the proposed changes. The committee has been tasked with submitting a report on the issue of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members’ arrests, the sources added.
On Sunday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met and discussed significant political developments. Sources revealed that the leaders discussed a range of constitutional and governance issues, including the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.
A main outcome of the meeting was the decision to quickly table a bill in parliament that addresses the composition of the Supreme Court by increasing the number of judges. This bill is expected to be introduced in parliament immediately and is anticipated to be approved within days.
Discussions also extended to the implementation of the newly approved 26th Constitutional Amendment, focusing on devising a mechanism for the formation of constitutional benches at both the federal and provincial levels. They decided that formal meetings would be held on the formation of constitutional benches.
Moreover, the leaders reviewed the pending bill related to the municipal powers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which has now been forwarded to the relevant committee for further consideration.
They also talked about the implementation of an agreement between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding the issues of Punjab. The meeting also reviewed the progress in implementation of an agreement over fund release and administrative positions in Punjab, according to sources.