Constitutional amendments: Opposition MPs being offered up to Rs1bn to change loyalties, says Omar

ISLAMABAD: PTI members in the National Assembly on Thursday accused the government of using coercive tactics to change the loyalties of opposition members to support constitutional amendment while PPP members pressed for the establishment of a constitutional court.

The National Assembly kicked off a debate on proposed constitutional amendments on a motion moved by PPP MNA Naveed Qamar. Interestingly, the House started the debate even before the draft was tabled. “It is better to open the floor for a debate so that proposals be made part of the consensus document,” Naveed said, adding that it would be the right approach for good. It was decided at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee to initiate discussion on judicial reforms.

Opposition Leader Omar Ayub said the government had not been able to complete the required numbers for the passage of constitutional amendment. Alleging that PTI leaders and their families were being harassed to secure their support, he said that last night, the wife of PTI leader Zain Qureshi was arrested from her house. Miqdad Ali disappeared while traveling to Islamabad while Riaz Fatyana’s son was made to disappear twice. The opposition members are receiving offers of up to Rs one billion to support the constitutional amendment. “Isn’t this a matter of shame? Is democracy here for sale?” the opposition leader asked.

The family members of PTI parliamentarians including children were tortured and harassed, he said and added that the interior minister should come here and inform whether it was being done by him or some other people. He questioned as to why the government was in a hurry to get the constitutional amendments bill passed as it took 9 to 10 months to reach a consensus on the 18th Amendment.

He also opposed a proposal floated by the Awami National Party (ANP) to change the name of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Pakhtunkhwa.

Musa Gillani of the PPP condemned the midnight arrest of Zain Qureshi’s wife.

Ex-speaker Asad Qaisar, taking the floor, said Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also told a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee on Thursday that the wife of Zain was picked and released after two hours.

The PTI parliamentarians demanded that undemocratic acts to change the loyalties of parliamentarians including raids on their houses, arrests of their family members and offering bribes should be stopped.

Agha Rafiullah of the PPP called for the establishment of the constitutional court, saying that the opposition should not press for constitutional benches. “The opposition should not compromise on constitutional amendments.”