Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif calls meeting to discuss about 'constitutional package'
Sep 14, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], September 14 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned a federal cabinet meeting on Saturday to discuss the draft of a much-anticipated 'constitutional package', ARY News reported.
The cabinet had a one-point agenda- to consider the contentious constitutional amendments in the meeting scheduled on 11am (local time) on Sunday, ARY News reported.
After the federal cabinet passes the amendment, they will be presented before the Senate and the National Assembly. The amendment seeks to fix the chief justice of Pakistan's (CJP) tenure for three years among other things, as per ARY News.
Earlier, the federal government claimed that they secured two-third majority required to make constitutional amendments. Senators and Members of National Assembly of the treasury benches have been asked to remain in Islamabad as it is planning to devise a strategy for constitutional amendments, as per ARY News report.
Earlier in the day, Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Zartaj Gul alleged that party member Saadullah Baloch's family members have been kidnapped, Pakistan-based ARY News reported.
"They have been abducted to press the PTI's parliamentarian to become part of the unconstitutional amendment," Gul told ARY News.
She said that Aurangzeb Khan Khichi has been missing for last three days. "The PML-N resorting to every tactic for the unconstitutional amendment, which is not permissible under the constitution," she told ARY News.
Gul stated that she will resist the legislation at every place.
On Friday, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has chosen not to back the government's proposed constitutional amendments regarding Pakistan's judiciary, ARY News reported.
The party has directed its senators to abstain from voting in the Senate unless they have specific approval from their leadership.
Sources indicate that Senator Atta-ur-Rehman, the party's parliamentary leader, sent a policy letter to his fellow senators, including Kamran Murtaza, Maulana Abdul Wasey, Abdul Shakoor Khan, and Ahmed Khan.