Pakistan’s coalition government is preparing to pass the highly debated 26th constitutional amendment bill, with both the Senate and National Assembly set to convene on Sunday after a series of weekend meetings. The sessions were initially scheduled for Saturday but were delayed when Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman requested more time for PTI leaders to discuss the amendment draft.
The National Assembly is now scheduled to reconvene at 6pm, while the Senate session will take place at 3pm. These sessions have been rescheduled several times as political talks intensified in Islamabad, with efforts to build a consensus on the proposed changes.
Read more: Political Leaders Race to Achieve Consensus on the 26th Constitutional Amendment
This weekend marked critical negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties, who have been working to address key concerns related to the amendments. Discussions have been ongoing to resolve differences and move forward with the legislative process.
The federal cabinet was unable to approve the amendment draft in its previous meeting and is expected to reconvene at 2:30pm today to review the proposal further. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Attorney General Mansoor Usman, and Law Minister Nazir Tarar are leading these efforts, with the hope of reaching an agreement.
The proposed amendments include establishing a federal constitutional court, raising the retirement age for judges, and revising the Chief Justice appointment process. PTI has raised concerns, alleging the changes favor Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, but the government denies these claims. Federal Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar is set to present a revised draft to the Cabinet for approval before it is put to a vote.
