All parties except MQM back Judicial Commission

ISLAMABAD: All parliamentary groups except the beleaguered Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday pledged their wholehearted support to the agreement signed between the government and PTI for the constitution of a Judicial Commission to prove the alleged rigging in the 2013 general election.
The MQM leaders termed the agreement contrary to the Constitution and announced that they will oppose it in parliament.They also asked for further consultations with constitutional experts, well-placed parliamentary sources told The News.
The MQM had been supporting the demand for the establishment of a judicial commission previously, but it suddenly came out with its opposition to the agreement.The meeting of parliamentary group leaders took place in the prime minister’s Chamber-222 at the Parliament House on late Tuesday afternoon with Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in the chair.
All the group leaders, who stood by democracy and parliament during the agitation of the PTI and PAT, attended the meeting and supported both the agreement and the ordinance.
The prime minister took the leaders into confidence on the process of negotiations with the PTI. According to official sources, the matter of forming a judicial commission was deliberated upon in detail and it was decided to go ahead with the formation of the judicial commission.
Some parties expressed constitutional and legal reservations but decided to support the government on this matter in the interest of democracy and political stability.The prime minister said the PML-N wanted to take all the political forces together on matters of national importance. He recalled that he had written a letter on August 13, 2014 for the constitution of the judicial commission. Federal Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar briefed the meeting on the details of negotiations. Dar was the chief negotiator of the ruling party and he successfully conducted the dialogue.
The prime minister said all the parties should work together for the country’s progress and welfare of the people.The prime minister said: “We want to remove the misgivings among the political parties through adialogue and fully concentrate on resolving the challenges facing Pakistan, which include eradicating terrorism and extremism, meeting energy shortages and putting the country’s economy on the path of progress by creating a safe, peaceful, tolerant and prosperous society.”
The participants of the meeting congratulated the prime minister and the negotiating team on their success. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah said the PTI should now rejoin the National Assembly. The political leaders appreciated that a political solution to the problem was found.
The participants of the meeting included Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar of MQM, Akram Khan Durrani of JUI-F, Pir Sadruddin Shah of PML-F, Mehmood Khan Achakzai of PkMAP, Senator Sirajul Haq of JI, Sahibzada Tariqullah of JI, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of ANP, Muhammad Ijazul Haq of PML-Z, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao of QWP, Dr. Ghazi Gulab Jamal from Fata, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo of National Party, Senator A. Rehman Malik of PPP and Senator Mrs. Kulsoom Parveen of PML-N.
Meanwhile, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance, former federal minister and constitutional expert Zahid Hamid, Federal Minister for Information Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Minister for SAFRON Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Minister of State for Information Technology Ms. Anusha Rahman, Barrister Zafarullah, Dr. Syed Asif Saeed Kirmani, Political Secretary to the PM, as well as Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt and others also attended the meeting.
The sources disclosed that Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, while responding to a query of Muhammad Ejazul Haq, maintained that the proposed ordinance could be challenged in the court and it was extremely difficult that such a commission could produce results within 45 days. Ejazul Haq pointed out that the judicial commission would be overriding the Article 225 of the Constitution.
The said article says: “225 Election dispute. No election to a House or a Provincial Assembly shall be called in question except by an election petition presented to such tribunal and in such manner as may be determined by Act of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament).”
The sources said the ordinance agreed upon between the government and PTI would be promulgated next week after the adjournment of the National Assembly’s ongoing session sine-die.
The sources said the prime minister had assured the group leaders that the government would stand by the agreement in letter and spirit. It is understood that the PTI will return to parliament once the ordinance was promulgated, the sources added.
Addressing a press conference later outside the Parliament House, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar said his party had decided not to support the formation of the commission, calling it a violation of the Constitution.
“We respect the supremacy of the Constitution and believe that parliament and political parties also come under the Constitution and not vice versa, but the proposed law is in violation of Article 225 and 189 of the Constitution.”
Whereas, the PTI contends a judicial commission with special powers should be formulated through a presidential ordinance which should find out if rigging was committed on a selected number of constituencies. If so, the government should go home followed by fresh elections.