Today’s federal cabinet meeting, which discussed critical constitutional amendments, has been postponed due to Maulana Fazal Rahman’s lack of support.
The agenda was to ratify amendments, but due to Rahman’s position, the meeting was deferred, and as a result, the 26th constitutional amendment may not be presented today.
Sources reveal that the National Assembly will proceed with a limited three-point agenda, excluding the anticipated judicial reform package. This decision follows a stalemate between the government and the opposition over judicial reforms, particularly concerning the extension of judges’ tenure, which Rahman opposes.
Read: Government Set to Present Constitutional Amendment Bill in National Assembly
The Parliament’s Special Committee on Rules, Regulations, and Procedures, chaired by Khorashid Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), ended its recent session without resolution, continuing the deadlock. Despite extensive discussions lasting over three hours, the committee failed to make any headway. The government’s presentation lacked a draft of the proposed amendment, leading the opposition to withhold its decision until the draft is reviewed.
Khorashid Shah mentioned that ongoing consultations within the committee are taking place but noted that the cabinet must approve the draft before it can be discussed further. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maulana Fazal Rahman seek consensus on the amendment. Shabbil Faraz noted the absence of any agreement due to the lack of material presented at the meeting. Rahman remains firm in his stance, insisting on reviewing detailed information before supporting the amendments.
