ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly lost contact with 12 of its lawmakers, including 2 senators and 10 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), according to sources cited by Abbtakk News.
Party insiders indicate that opposition leader Omar Ayub has confirmed the disconnection with 7 lawmakers, while PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar has noted a loss of contact with 2 senators.
The affected lawmakers include Zain Qureshi, Zahoor Qureshi, Aslam Ghuman, Usman Ali, Riaz Fatyana, Mukhtar Hussain, Chaudhry Ilyas, Aurangzeb Kachhi, Murad Zeeshan Khan, and Aniqa Mehdi.
Previously, the PTI Political Committee announced its decision to boycott the voting on constitutional amendments in both houses. The committee also expressed intentions to protest against any PTI members of the National Assembly and Senate who participate in the voting process.
The PTI Political Committee stated that the group currently in power lacks the moral, democratic, and constitutional authority to alter the constitution.
In a surprising development, PTI raised concerns that two of its senators may vote in favor of the constitutional amendments contrary to the party’s stance. Barrister Gohar Khan mentioned that the party has learned that Senators Zarqa Taimur and Faisal Saleem might vote against party policy.
“I believe our two senators, Zarqa Taimur and Faisal Salim, are likely to vote against the party’s position,” Barrister Gohar Khan stated.
In another update, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced that the draft of the constitutional package would be presented to the federal cabinet today (Sunday) for formal approval.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad alongside Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, he mentioned that proposals from JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been included in the draft.
The Law Minister stated that he informed the Federal Cabinet about the thorough discussions surrounding the constitutional amendment and presented the viewpoints of the allied parties during the cabinet meeting.
After a series of meetings at Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad and delays in the National Assembly and Senate sessions, the presentation of the constitutional amendments draft was postponed to Sunday.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence became a focal point on Saturday, hosting visits from Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and leaders from various political parties, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Balochistan National Party (Mengal) leader Akhtar Mengal.