Federal cabinet approves proposed draft of 26th constitutional amendment: PMO

The federal cabinet on Sunday approved the proposed draft of 26th constitutional amendment, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, as the government is expected to table the draft in both houses of the parliament later today.

The cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of PM Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. During the meeting, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar provided a detailed briefing on the constitutional package.

“The federal cabinet approved the proposed draft of the 26th Constitutional Amendment in collaboration with government allied parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party,” the PMO statement stated.

“The cabinet made decisions in the broader national interest, upholding its oath for national development and public welfare,” PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying in the statement.

“After stabilising the national economy, the country has achieved a significant milestone for constitutional stability and the rule of law,” he added.

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Earlier during the day, Tarar had said that the draft of the much-hyped constitutional package would be presented before the federal cabinet for formal approval.

Tarar shared that the proposals of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam - Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had been incorporated in the draft.

It may be noted that the final draft has not been made public by the government, while some politicians have also claimed that more than one drafts have been shown to the parliamentarians - unclear which is the final one.

He said timelines had been proposed in the constitutional package regarding the appointment of judges and evaluation of their performance to make the process of accountability transparent and swift.

Meanwhile, talking to the media, Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan said the Senate and the National Assembly would vote on the constitutional amendment following approval by the cabinet today.

On Saturday, Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar had said that despite having numbers, the coalition government had been making all-out efforts for the creation of a broader consensus on the proposed constitutional package.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Saturday claimed that the JUI-F chief had agreed on the constitutional amendment and he would himself present a draft of the bill in the National Assembly for passage.

Tarar on Sunday said the government had secured the required numbers to get the amendment passed.