- No sign of the 28th Amendment yet: Tarar.
- Focuses on discussions on a number of national issues.
- The federal government facing governance challenges: Tarar.
Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Saturday that any constitutional amendment process would only happen through consensus, adding that there was currently no sign of a 28th Amendment.
“We are a coalition government; how can we make constitutional amendments without consultation?” he said during a media interaction in Lahore.
According to the law minister, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will first consult its allies in Parliament and will proceed on this issue only after receiving a “signal” from its allies.
He added that all stakeholders will come together to dialogue on key issues requiring agreement, stressing that past consensus models, including those from 2009, could guide future discussions.
“Nothing is clear yet; the outlines of any amendment become visible once a draft is prepared,” Tarar said.
His clarification aligns with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s refusal of any immediate negotiations on a draft 28th constitutional amendment.
“No discussion has yet taken place on the 28th Amendment; [but] I don’t know about tomorrow,” he said during his speech at the PPP party’s parliamentary meeting on Thursday.
Bilawal’s remarks followed Minister of State for Law, Barrister Aqeel Malik’s statement, rejecting the impression that the 28th Amendment would override the 18th.
“This impression being created that if the 28th Amendment is brought in, it will be a rollback of the 18th Amendment, I think an extremely wrong impression is being created,” Malik said at a press conference. PK Press Club News“Capital Talk” program.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice reiterated that the process of amending the Constitution will only progress with consensus among coalition partners and stakeholders.
He noted that the Federal Government was facing governance challenges, emphasizing discussions on a number of national issues including the National Finance Commission (NFC), Saraiki Provincial Project and strengthening local governments.
Tarar highlighted the MQM-P’s advocacy for strengthening local governments, saying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had entrusted it with the responsibility of creating consensus on the party’s suggestions.
The law minister said coordination between Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari would help advance consultations on key national issues.
