The constitutional amendment has already been approved by the Senate. On Sunday, the federal government presented the amendment bill in the National Assembly, introduced by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
Prominent political figures, including Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, were present during the introduction of the bill. The session was briefly adjourned just before midnight, set to reconvene at 12:05 am.
Government Still 5 Votes Short
The ruling coalition needs 224 votes to pass the constitutional amendment but currently holds only 211 seats in the National Assembly. This includes 111 from the PML-N, 69 from the PPP, 22 from MQM, 5 from the Q-League, 4 from the IPP, and one each from PML-Zia, Balochistan Awami Party, and the National Party.
With three coalition members facing references, the effective total remains 211. If the eight JUI members are included, the count rises to 219, leaving the government in need of an additional five votes for passage.
The opposition controls 80 seats, including members from the Sunni Ittehad Council, eight PTI-supported independents, and one each from the Balochistan National Party, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, and the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party. Consequently, the government requires two additional votes from the opposition to secure the amendment’s passage.
The Senate had previously passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment with a two-thirds majority, receiving 58 votes from the government, five from JUI-F, and two from the Balochistan National Party. PTI, Sunni Ittehad Council, and MWM members exited the chamber during the amendment’s clause-by-clause approval.
