ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday said that seven members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the coalition government will vote against the proposed constitutional amendments.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gauhar Khan told Geo News, “The government’s figures are complete only in their books.
He said that he has received information from reliable sources about the refusal of seven members of the Treasury Bench to vote.
“Government members said they would not vote even if they were disqualified,” he said, adding that lawmakers believed those voting in favor of the constitutional amendments were against their conscience. Will be doing that.
Probably, he said, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also knew that his own party’s parliamentary members would not vote for the amendment.
His remarks came as a special committee of parliament reconvened on Thursday to discuss the draft amendments to the constitution proposed by the government.
Special Committee Chairman Khurshid Shah said that the 26th constitutional amendment was agreed upon in the meeting on the request of PTI Chief Whip Aamir Dogar.
The constitutional package, among other things, established a federal constitutional court and fixed the tenure of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) for three years.
The government had tried to introduce a constitutional amendment bill last month, but its allies as well as members of opposition benches strongly opposed the proposal, forcing the administration to initiate a consultation process.
The government needs a two-thirds majority in parliament to pass constitutional amendments, sources said, short of 13 votes in the National Assembly and nine in the Senate.
‘truths’
Speaking to reporters after coming out of the committee meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Umar Ayub said that he had put the ‘truth’ before the committee.
He said that coercive tactics are being used against those opposing the proposed constitutional amendments.
“PTI leader Zain Qureshi’s wife was abducted, Dawood Shah and several MNAs and their family members were abducted, and my house was raided. JUI-F members were also threatened. were given,” he said, appreciating that the JUI-F has yet to agree to the government’s draft.
Hoping to reach a consensus on the amendments, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that today is a day of good and positive news.
Expressing his party’s support for the government’s proposed draft, MQMP leader Farooq Sattar said his party has decided to support judicial reforms.
