A major development has emerged ahead of the Senate proceedings on the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, as the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly lost contact with two of its senators from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the two senators are Saifullah Abro from Sindh and Faisal Saleem ur Rehman from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sources revealed that Senator Saifullah Abro had earlier refused to resign from the standing committees on the directives of party founder Imran Khan, while Senator Faisal Saleem ur Rehman had also remained out of contact with the party during deliberations on the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Meanwhile, the government has claimed that it has secured the necessary numbers to pass the amendment in the upper house. Due to the illness of Senator Faisal Siddiqui, the ruling coalition currently has 63 votes in the Senate, just enough to maintain a majority.
The Senate session, chaired by Presiding Officer Manzoor Kakar, commenced with some delay and is expected to take up the report on the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, prepared by the law and justice standing committees of both houses of Parliament.
However, the government has yet to give a clear indication as to when the report will formally be presented in the upper house.
Speaking to reporters, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar dismissed speculations of a deadlock, saying, “There is no issue with the numbers. The report on the 27th Amendment will be introduced once we have the required strength.” He added that the proposed amendments aim to “strengthen the Federation, improve governance, and make Pakistan’s defence impregnable.”
At the outset of Monday’s session, the chair announced that speeches left undelivered in the previous sitting would begin the day’s proceedings. PPP Senator Farooq H Naek is expected to present the standing committee’s report on the amendment before the House.
Separately, the National Assembly is scheduled to convene later today at 4:30 pm to discuss legislative business, including matters related to the constitutional amendment.
