LAHORE: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Saturday that any constitutional amendment process will only proceed with consensus, adding there were currently no signs of a 28th Amendment.
“We are a coalition government; how can we proceed with constitutional amendments without consultation?” he said during a media interaction in Lahore.
According to the law minister, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) will first consult with its allies in parliament and proceed on the matter only after receiving a “signal” from its allies. He added that all stakeholders will come together for dialogue on key issues requiring agreement.
“Nothing is clear yet; the contours of any amendment become visible once a draft is prepared,” Tarar said. Meanwhile, the law minister reiterated that the constitutional amendment process will only move forward with consensus among coalition partners and stakeholders.
He noted that the federal government was facing governance challenges, stressing discussions on a number of national issues, including the National Finance Commission (NFC), the proposed Saraiki province and strengthening of local governments. The law minister said that coordination between PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari would help advance consultations on key national matters. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that a proposal to increase the voter age is under consideration, arguing that casting a vote is an important responsibility. Speaking during a special interview on Geo News programme Jirga, he said that if the minimum age for contesting elections is 25 years, then the matter of fixing an appropriate age for voting also deserves consideration. He said stated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was not upset with the government. Referring to remarks made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he said Bilawal had rightly pointed out that constitutional amendments cannot be passed without the support of PPP.
