Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal delivered on Sunday a significant blow to the government concerning the constitutional amendment.

Sources said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached out to Mengal via phone regarding the constitutional amendment.

The development came as the government tried to woo coalition partners for the crucial vote.

The desired legislation for the three-year tenure of the CJP needs 224 votes in the National Assembly for its passage and the ruling coalition is short of 12 votes. If the JUI-F gives a nod to the proposed law, the government will still need four to five more votes in the National Assembly.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked PML-N lawmakers and his coalition partners to ensure their attendance in the august houses on Sunday (today). It was revealed during a dinner hosted for MPs in Islamabad.

To counter the government’s plans, Imran Khan’s party has also consulted other opposition parties regarding potential legislation.

Mengal sought the draft of the constitutional amendments from the premier. In return for supporting the two Senate votes, he has demanded the immediate recovery of 2,000 missing persons.

Sources added that the prime minister has assured the BNP-M chief that discussions regarding his demands would take place.

The proposed constitutional amendment aims to raise the retirement age for Supreme Court judges to 68 years and for high court judges to 65 years while also extending the chief justice of Pakistan’s term by three years.

In the event of the resignation of the sitting chief justice, the next senior judge would also be appointed for a three-year term.