Defense Minister Khawaja Asif revealed that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Fazlur Rehman did not back the government on key constitutional amendments.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on Monday, Asif addressed the uncertainty surrounding the passage of the amendment, noting, “It seems the numbers were not complete.” He added, “I have been in the National Assembly since morning, so I am unaware of all the details, but the legislation was not passed due to insufficient attendance.”
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His comments come amid growing speculation over the delay in legislative proceedings.
Both the Senate and National Assembly sessions, which were set to discuss the amendments, have been postponed until 12:30 PM tomorrow, though the reason for the delay remains unclear.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has indicated a willingness to offer conditional support for the proposed constitutional amendment.
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During a meeting of the Parliamentary Special Committee chaired by Khursheed Shah, efforts were made to build consensus on the amendments. Opposition leader Umar Ayub and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar were in attendance.
Sources reveal that PTI presented its own version of the constitutional amendment to the committee, stating that a consensus could be reached if the government accepts their proposed changes.
After the meeting, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar spoke to the media, emphasizing that the discussions were held in-camera. He criticized the amendment, describing it as one “being done in the dark of the night” and accusing the government of attempting to weaken the judiciary. He expressed concern that the bill had not been shared with PTI and clarified that there had been no indication from the government that voting would occur today.
Barrister Gohar also pointed out that none of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s suggestions were taken into account, and that PTI had only observed the discussions without putting forth any proposals.
Meanwhile, a meeting took place in Islamabad between Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and a government delegation, which included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi, according to JUI spokesperson Aslam Ghori.
JUI Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Aslam Ghori, and Mir Osman Badini also participated in the discussions with the government delegation regarding the constitutional amendments.
Earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rehman chaired a meeting of the JUI parliamentary party, where he briefed members on the recent discussions with both the government and the opposition.