Nawaz, Shehbaz expected to meet Fazl to seek vote on proposed constitutional amendment

Nawaz, Shehbaz expected to meet Fazl to seek vote on proposed constitutional amendment

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are expected to meet Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and persuade him to support the government in passing the proposed constitutional amendment.

Earlier, a high-level government delegation comprising Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Mohsin Naqvi and others called on the Maulana and asked him to vote in favour of the government to pass the amendment.

Amid discussions over the constitutional package to be introduced by the current government, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has emerged as a central figure, with the ruling coalition and the opposition vying for his support in parliament.

Fazl has held several key meetings with both sides as the ruling coalition seeks to secure the votes needed to pass the constitutional amendment while the opposition struggles to block it.

The constitutional bill is said to include a term extension for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire in October. However, the government has remained silent on the details of the amendments, saying only that the changes do not target any specific person but will impact the judicial process.

According to sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the JUI-F chief to seek his support for the constitutional amendment. Fazl asked for a draft text to be discussed with his party leaders before taking a decision. Fazl also met Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and others, while his own delegation included key JUI-F figures.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also attended the meetings, along with Bilawal and Maulana Asad Mahmood.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and several government officials also met Fazl to discuss the amendment. According to JUI-F’s Murtaza, the government has made several proposals, which will be considered by the party leadership.

He stressed that all political parties, including the PTI, should be consulted on the constitutional amendments.

Fazl also held discussions with a PTI delegation led by President Barrister Gohar Khan, though the PTI representatives left without addressing the media.

One of the expected changes in the constitutional package includes increasing the retirement age of Supreme Court and High Court judges to 68 and 65 respectively, through amendments to Article 179.

The government is also considering revising the seniority-based appointment of the Chief Justice of Pakistan under Article 175A. In addition, plans are underway to set up a constitutional court and amend Article 63-A, which deals with defections of legislators.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had consulted with parliamentarians from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and allied parties on possible amendments.

For the constitutional amendment to be adopted, the government will need to obtain a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament. In the National Assembly, 224 votes are needed, while in the Senate, 64 votes are needed.

Currently, the ruling coalition has 211 deputies in the National Assembly, while the opposition has 101. The government therefore still needs 13 more votes to pass the amendment.

The ruling coalition comprises the PML-N, PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and other smaller parties. In the Senate, the government has 54 seats, nine votes short of the required 64. The opposition in the Senate comprises the PTI, JUI-F and several smaller parties, with a total of 31 senators.