Constitutional amendment: Rabbani advises govt not to rely on votes of renegade members

ISLAMABAD: Former chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani advised the federal government that it should not rely on the votes of renegade members for passing the constitutional amendments.

He said that the proposed amendments should be made public and debate in and outside Parliament should be held to build broadest consensus.

“The original intent of Article 63A of the Constitution 1973 was clear and the intent of the 18th Amendment to Article 63A had been restored and Article 63A Constitution, 1973, places a bar on a member from voting against party lines on a constitutional amendment,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani was of the opinion that the government should create a parliamentary majority of political parties present in Parliament rather than seek renegade votes.

He said that the controversial constitutional amendments have never stood the test of history.