Law minister says no draft of 28th Amendment yet, promises consensus
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said no formal draft of the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment has been prepared. He said the government will build consensus with all political parties.
- No draft of the 28th Amendment has been prepared yet, the law minister said.
- The government says it will consult coalition partners and opposition parties.
- PTI's Barrister Ali Zafar said the party has not finalised any position.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government will sit down with all political parties to build consensus on the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment. He spoke to the media in Islamabad, according to Daily Times, and also spoke to Samaa, according to Daily Pakistan.
Tarar said that no formal draft of the amendment has been prepared so far. According to Daily Times, he said legal experts have not yet finished a draft of the new legislation.
The minister said the government intends to proceed transparently by consulting its coalition partners as well as opposition groups. Daily Times reported that government officials rejected political speculation about secret legislative packages.
According to Daily Times, Tarar also said any future constitutional change requires broad political dialogue. It reported that the treasury benches plan to engage key political stakeholders before any formal text is presented to the National Assembly.
Separately, senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Barrister Ali Zafar said the proposed amendment was discussed at a recent meeting of the party's parliamentary group. He said some members suggested that the party should consider it if it offers a route to relief or the release of founder Imran Khan.
Zafar added that no decision has been taken on the amendment. According to the Urdu report, he said that if some relief can be obtained in the context of the 28th Amendment, it should be pursued. Daily Times reported that PTI lawmakers plan to deliberate further as more details emerge from the government side.
Daily Times reported that the Ministry of Law and Justice said formal announcements will follow once multi-party consultations produce concrete recommendations. It also said leaders across party lines expressed willingness to take part in the discussions.
Why it matters
The proposed amendment would change the constitution that governs all Pakistanis, so its passage would affect everyone.
