Pakistan: 'Constitutional Package' shelved amid lack of political consensus

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 17 (ANI): The much-anticipated 'Constitutional Package' failed to make its way to the parliament even on Tuesday as the Pakistan government deferred presenting the proposed amendments, saying that it would bring the legislation before the house after a consensus had been achieved, Dawn reported.
Despite claims of having sufficient support for the constitutional amendments, the government's reluctance to present the package appears to be largely due to opposition from the JUI-F. The government's efforts to address the objections through backchannel negotiations are ongoing.
Although the package was not presented to parliament, a draft of the proposed constitutional changes began circulating widely on social media and mainstream outlets, offering a glimpse into the government's plans for the judiciary.
According to leaders from the PML-N, this draft was not intended to be the final version. The government plans to incorporate feedback from opposition parties before finalising the document.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar clarified in the National Assembly that the draft shared was a preliminary working paper rather than the conclusive draft.
Barrister Aqeel Malik, an aide to the Prime Minister on legal matters, mentioned in a television interview that objections to certain clauses of the proposed bill were the reason it wasn't tabled in parliament on Monday.
"There were some objections to some of the clauses of the proposed bill, that was why it could not be tabled in parliament [on Monday]," he stated.
He further emphasised that the government aims to secure a consensus and is prepared to amend the proposal accordingly, indicating that the bill would not be presented until broader agreement is achieved, as reported by Dawn.
PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced on TV that the government plans to make another attempt to pass the package within the next two to three weeks. He noted that the government needs 13 opposition votes to achieve the two-thirds majority required for the constitutional amendment.
Earlier on Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with a delegation from the PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The discussion focused on securing support for the 'Constitutional Package'. According to the Prime Minister's Office, both parties reviewed the proposed amendments in depth and agreed to broaden the consultation process.
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasised that constitutional amendments fall within the purview of parliament's rights and stated that the proposed changes aim to deliver immediate and effective justice. He encouraged PPP leaders to continue their involvement in the consultative process.
Dawn reported citing sources that while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have largely agreed with the package's provisions, including the creation of a constitutional court, they oppose a proposal to extend the tenure of the Chief Justice and other Supreme Court judges.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui announced that the 'Constitutional Package' would not be presented to parliament on Monday, leading to the prorogation of both the Senate and National Assembly sessions.
Senator Siddiqui also said that the draft circulated was not the final version and needed further refinement with input from all parliamentary parties. He added that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had not outright rejected the package but sought more time to review the proposed amendments
Siddiqui affirmed hope that the government would refine the proposal over the next two weeks to address all stakeholders' concerns before presenting it again. He noted that there were no objections to the establishment of a constitutional court, intended to handle constitutional matters and reduce the backlog in the Supreme Court, which currently has over 60,000 pending cases.
Siddiqui mentioned that the delay was partly due to the government's attempt to keep all ruling alliance members in the capital, which had become challenging. (ANI)