The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reported losing contact with 11 of its parliamentarians amid ongoing discussions on the 26th constitutional amendment, according to party insiders on Sunday. The group includes two senators and nine National Assembly members.
Opposition Leader Omar Ayub confirmed his inability to reach seven members, including Zain Qureshi, Zahoor Qureshi, Aslam Ghuman, Osman Ali, Riaz Fatyana, Muqaddas Hussain, Chaudhry Ilyas, Aurangzeb Khan Kachhi, and Mubarak Zain Khan. This development occurred just before a Senate session set for 3 p.m.
Recently, parties such as BNP-M, JUI-F, and PTI have alleged that their legislators are being pressured to support the constitutional amendment bill.
JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, after meeting with a PTI delegation on October 18, said, “There are reports that our reconciliation efforts are not being taken seriously. While talks are ongoing, our parliamentarians are being harassed and abducted.”
He further revealed that a JUI-F lawmaker had been abducted, another threatened, and one offered money. Fazl warned that if the government continued using such tactics, his party might be forced to withdraw from the negotiations.
On Sunday, Fazl confirmed that the government had not yet addressed these concerns.
Additionally, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan stated that two PTI senators, Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur and Faisal Saleem Rahman, may vote in favor of the government’s proposed amendment.
