Draft of 27th Amendment not shared with PPP, minister tells NA

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposed the proposed 27th Amendment in the Constitution, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday said the government would follow the true spirit of the Constitution for the purpose.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Chaudhry said the Constitution was a “living document” and that any amendment required a two-thirds majority in parliament. “Consensus is desirable, but constitutionally, amendments are passed with a two-thirds majority,” he said. The minister said the amendment bill “will be first laid in the Senate once the draft is finalised.” It would also be given to chief whips of parties in the National Assembly.

He said that they have not shared the draft with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other allies but they would be taken into confidence. He said that the draft was yet to be finalised. “The purpose of the new amendment is to improve governance, and bolster defence and strengthen the relationship between the federation and the provinces.”

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that it was just propaganda that the 18th Amendment would be rolled back to the 17th Amendment. “I am giving this assurance on behalf of the government, prime minister and my party”, he said, adding, under the 27th Amendment, the government wanted to have a uniform curriculum in the country, and not to control educational institutions. “However, the provinces can include some regional matter in curriculum.” The propaganda to make the bill controversial should be stopped, he asked.

He also maintained that any decision regarding NFC would be taken with consultation with stakeholders at the standing committee of the House. He said that under the amendment, the constitutional bench will be given constitutional cover by creating the constitutional court. “Establishment of constitutional court was very much part of the Charter of Democracy,” he claimed. The minister said the prime minister would not assume executive powers to transfer judges as it remains with the judiciary.

Regarding grant of permission for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to meet incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs said that there was a jail manual for the purpose. “The family and his lawyers have the first right of meetings.” He said there are 8,500 prisoners in Adiala Jail, asking whether all of them should be allowed to meet everybody.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the 27th Amendment would be an attack on the provincial autonomy and democratic principles, adding the constitutional amendments are passed with consensus as happened in a neighbouring country in the past. He said the 27th Amendment would be against the spirit of the Constitution and the House, adding, the government should refrain from further dividing the nation. “It will further jeopardise independence of judiciary,” he said.

Barrister Gohar said the government was putting the whole federation in jeopardy through passage of the new amendment. He said that it would not be proper to withdraw subjects of population and education from provinces. “They were devolved to provinces under the 18th Amendment,” he said. He also objected that as to why the draft version of the 27th Amendment was leaked.

Barrister Gohar said the opposition had proposed the name of Mahmood Khan Achakzai as opposition leader in the National Assembly, adding that his name was submitted with the Speaker’s office with signatures of 72 MNAs. “As per rules, the Speaker should name the opposition leader otherwise I shall request Achakzai to himself occupy his seat.” PTI’s Malik Aamir Dogar also demanded of the chair to immediately name Achakzai as opposition leader as per rules.

Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, who was chairing the proceedings, suggested the opposition member to visit the speaker’s office to discuss the issue as a issue was lying with the court.