The JUI-F has declined to support the ruling coalition’s constitutional amendment as the parliamentary committee meeting would meet again on Monday to reach a consensus on the intended legislation.

“Consultations on the draft have largely been completed,” JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza told reporters after meeting PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s spokesperson Murtaza Wahab.

Described as the “26th Constitutional Amendment”, the intended legislation was set to propose a fixed three-year tenure for the chief justice of Pakistan and form a constitutional court.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected the proposed constitutional amendments on September 18 and laid out his party’s stance on the issue. But he has supported the demand for constitutional courts without any person-specific legislation.

Murtaza spoke to reporters after a special committee meeting on constitutional amendments concluded with draft submissions in Islamabad on Saturday. All parties except the PTI submitted their proposals and drafts.

PPP MNA Khursheed Shah presided over the committee. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, Leader of Opposition in NA Omar Ayub, and Senator Ali Zafar.

The special committee’s meeting took place at the Parliament House, where it was decided to create a subcommittee to review drafts from all parties.

The committee agreed to form a subcommittee, which would finalise all suggestions into a comprehensive draft within two days. The PTI has conditioned its support on consulting with the party’s founding members.

Following the meeting, leaders from the PPP and the JUI-F left for the Zardari House to discuss their joint draft. Senator Murtaza noted that the only difference between the drafts of the PPP and JUI-F lay in the establishment of the constitutional court and the bench structure.

They expressed optimism about reaching a consensus on a joint draft soon. The special parliamentary committee meeting aimed at achieving agreement on constitutional amendments has been reconvened for Monday at 3:30pm where various political parties’ drafts would be reviewed.

PPP’s Wahab noted that a meeting with JUI-F Chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman had taken place on Friday, during which it was agreed that consultations would continue. He stated that the discussions were based on that agreement, allowing both parties to exchange views on the draft.

“We will continue our consultations,” he stated.

The JUI-F senator plans to speak with Fazl, mentioning that they were entangled in issues regarding the constitutional court and constitutional benches. “I hope this issue will be resolved soon; we will keep Maulana informed and discuss further matters,” he added.

MQM-P yet to see draft

In response to the developments, MQM-P MNA Farooq Sattar told reporters that his party has not seen the draft of the constitutional amendment.

The PML-N, the PPP, and the PTI all support or oppose the reform agenda as per their needs, he added.

Sattar pointed out that the PTI had previously supported judicial reforms but is now opposing them due to perceived threats to their political interests. “Where are the principles? We are searching for principles,” he stated.

Later, a delegation from MQM-P met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the federal capital, demanding the empowerment of local government institutions for their support.

The MQM-P delegation demanded that its draft be included as part of the constitutional amendments and has presented its proposed amendments to the premier.

According to sources within the party, a high-level delegation from the PML-N led by Deputy PM Dar would visit MQM’s headquarters in Bahadurabad. Both sides would discuss the draft related to local government institutions. The PML-N delegation is expected to brief the MQM-P leadership on the draft of the constitutional amendments tomorrow (Sunday).

Law Minister Tarar calls for dialogue

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that there was no issue that could not be resolved and stressed that discussions could lead to solutions.

While speaking to reporters, he questioned what “illegal actions” were occurring. He was of the view that mere criticism would not resolve issues. He urged the opposition to provide their proposals as well.

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‘Optimistic’ Pervaiz

PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that Fazl made an “excellent point” on Friday, indicating that a consensus draft would be provided.

Ashraf expressed optimism about the negotiations, stating that they were “heading in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Gohar said that his party has not brought any draft to the meeting. “We will see what is shared with us in the committee.”