On Wednesday, the PPP and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited the Sharif brothers’ Jati Umra residence in Lahore to discuss the proposed 26th constitutional amendment.
The highly anticipated Constitutional Package includes amendments such as extending the term of the Chief Justice. Three separate drafts are in progress—one by the government, another by the PPP, and the third by the JUI-F. A reconciliation committee, led by PPP’s Khursheed Shah and including representatives from all political parties, including the PTI, was formed by the National Assembly speaker following a controversial raid on PTI members at the Parliament House.
The PPP and JUI-F recently reached an agreement on a shared draft. Although key details of the package remain undisclosed, Fazlur Rehman had earlier rejected previous proposals, stating he would not compromise on parliamentary supremacy or the Constitution’s integrity. However, in a meeting with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Fazl showed some flexibility, leading to a joint draft and a commitment to build consensus with other parliamentary parties.
In an effort to broaden support, Fazlur Rehman and Senator Kamran Murtaza met the Sharif brothers for a dinner hosted by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and other political leaders attended the event.
Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and former President Asif Ali Zardari also visited Jati Umra to discuss the constitutional amendment and the country’s political situation. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, and others.
PTI’s Opposition and Planned Protests
The PTI has announced its opposition to the constitutional package and called for nationwide protests on Friday. The party urged regional and local organizations to hold peaceful demonstrations at district headquarters after Friday prayers, opposing any changes to the Constitution through the amendment. PTI also pledged to block the amendment in parliament but acknowledged that it had no major objections to the JUI-F’s draft.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja stated that while the party disagrees with the current assembly’s authority to amend the Constitution, they are open to discussions. He noted that the JUI-F’s proposal, which suggests a constitutional bench consisting of the five senior-most Supreme Court judges, is acceptable.
Akhtar Mengal Alleges Raid on His Lodges
Separately, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal claimed that his lodges in Islamabad were raided. He reported that party Senator Naseema Ehsan was confined to her apartment, and her son was allegedly abducted, while Senator Qasim Roonjo and his son went missing after Roonjo’s dialysis appointment.
Mengal condemned these actions, calling them an attempt to pressure his party senators ahead of the constitutional court package vote. The party’s acting president, Advocate Sajid Tareen, also claimed that Islamabad Police had visited Mengal’s apartment under the guise of intelligence reports, but he dismissed the move as a tactic to intimidate the party.
