Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission Professor Dr. Ali Riaz today expressed satisfaction over the progress in discussions with political parties and said that efforts are underway to finalise the ‘July Charter’ by the next month (July).
“The discussions are extremely positive. We are making progress continuously, and we hope that by July, we will be able to finalize our desired national charter (July Charter) and establish consensus on many important issues in the national interest,” he said at a press briefing after the second round of day-long talks with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy.
Asked about today’s agenda, he said that after the first round of talks, political parties had raised concerns about reconsidering some provisions of Article 70 of the Constitution.
"Following today’s discussion, we have agreed that the existing provisions of Article 70 will be amended to ensure political parties are bound to vote in favor of their party on money bills and confidence motions," Riaz added.
Comparing today’s discussion with previous sessions, he said, there has been progress, and political parties have agreed to allocate chairmanship of four key parliamentary committees-Public Accounts, Privileges, Estimates and Public Undertakings-to the opposition in proportion to their seats.
Speaking about women’s representation in Parliament, he said there has been long discussion on this issue. Everyone has agreed to reserve 100 seats for women in the National Parliament, but discussions are undergoing and process will continue. “We hope to reach a consensus next week," he added.
Regarding the appointment of the Chief Justice, he said there is a general consensus on amending Articles 95(1) and 48(3) of the Constitution.
“However, we will discuss this again next week to reach a final decision. But there is agreement on changing the existing system of appointing the Chief Justice,” he added.
On the issue of a bicameral legislature, he said, "There is consensus, but some parties have raised objections in principle.”
Asked about Jamaat-e-Islami’s absence in today’s meeting, he responded that the committee constantly communication with all parties to ensure their participation. “The commission has reached out to them, and we hope they or their representatives will attend tomorrow," he added.
The second phase of talks by the National Consensus Commission began today at the Foreign Service Academy, aiming to finalize recommendations for reforms and prepare the much-discussed "July Charter."
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, Khilafat Majlis Secretary-General Dr. Ahmad Abdul Kader, and representatives from other parties joined the meeting.
However, no representative from Jamaat-e-Islami was present despite an invitation.
MSH
