The Pakistani government has decided to introduce the proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment in the Senate first, before moving it to the National Assembly.
The amendment is scheduled to be presented in the Senate tomorrow, October 17th. Sources indicate that following Senate approval, the amendment will then proceed to the National Assembly.
Following agreement yesterday between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) on the amendments, sessions of both the National Assembly and the Senate have been summoned for October 17.
There is an expectation that the 26th Amendment will be passed by both houses on Thursday. However, the government’s decision to prioritize the Senate is a significant shift in strategy.
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Yesterday, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, leader of the JUI-F, stated that consensus had been reached on the amendment and that the JUI-F holds the deciding influence on its final form. He asserted that any constitutional amendment would be based solely on the JUI-F’s draft, rejecting any alternative proposals.
Following these developments, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has submitted a summary to the President, convening a National Assembly session at 4:00 PM on October 17.
Sources suggest that all parliamentary parties will be given ample opportunity to debate the constitutional amendment during the session.
