ISLAMABAD — National Assembly and Senate are set to meet today after a series of delays related to a controversial constitutional amendment.
NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq adjourned the session on Sunday, pushing it to 12:30 PM on Monday. The session had been delayed for several hours due to intense negotiations between treasury and opposition members with JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is crucial for the amendment’s passage.
National Assembly held a brief session late Sunday night, during which PML-N lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kayani proposed a motion to suspend the question hour and call attention notices for September 15 and 16. The motion was passed, and no constitutional amendments were addressed in the brief meeting. The Senate also adjourned its session until 12:30 PM on Monday.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggested that the government might not have had the required votes for the crucial decision. He was not familiar with the specifics of the discussions between treasury members and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
In a special committee meeting on the proposed constitutional amendments held at Parliament House, Maulana Fazlur Rehman recommended delaying the legislation until Monday. The meeting, presided over by PPP lawmaker Syed Khursheed Shah, included members from both political sides.
Sources indicate that the government has now secured the necessary votes for the amendment, leading to the cancellation of a planned meeting between PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif with Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The government intends to proceed with the constitutional amendment bill today. A National Assembly session is expected to take place soon, with the government claiming to have resolved JUI-F’s concerns and secured Fazl’s support.
The support of JUI-F is essential for the amendment’s approval in the National Assembly. Recent meetings involving PM Shehbaz, and other members
