Govt directs lawmakers to return home for constitutional amendment
Pakistan
Govt needs 2/3 majority in both houses of Parliament to pass constitutional amendment
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The government has directed lawmakers on foreign tour to return home come what may by October 15 for constitutional amendment.
The government has decided to call back parliamentarians currently abroad to meet the required number of votes for constitutional amendment.
According to sources, around 10 to 15 government parliamentarians including PML-N’s Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and PPP’s Syed Khursheed Shah are abroad.
PPP’s Senator Rana Mehmood al-Hassan, BAP’s Danish Kumar and Abdul Qadir are not available in the country.
PTI senators, Faisal Saleem and Riaz Fatyana are also residing abroad.
The amendment is related to judicial reforms including the establishment of a constitutional court, increase in the retirement age of high court judges and others to remove backlog of cases.
But the government requires the support of two-thirds majority, 224 votes out of a total of 336 members in the lower house to get approved and passed the bill.
As for the Senate, the ruling party has to get the support of 64 members. Currently, it has the support of 55 members.
