Constitutional amendments: Govt short of 5 Senators, 7 MNAs to achieve magic number

• Chances of passing constitutional tweaks becoming dim: Senator.
• Govt attempting to secure support of Balochistan's Akhtar Mengal.
• Coalition appears to be depending on "work of some other forces".
  

ISLAMABAD: The government benches are short of five senators and seven members of the National Assembly to carry out constitutional amendments, claim sources.

"We are more deficient in numbers than before but the effort is on to achieve the magic number (two-thirds majority in both the houses)," a government source said, adding that next week is important.

The News talked to three influential government members of Parliament but found none of them sure about achieving the goal of constitutional amendments regarding superior judiciary. They appear to be dependent on the work of some other forces than relying on their own muscles.

One of these sources said that during the last effort in this respect, the government had more numbers than now as some of the MNAs, who had assured their support to the government for these constitutional amendments in the past, have run away. It is said that in the Senate the government is short of five votes whereas the deficiency in the NA is of seven members.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman has become a difficult challenge for the ruling coalition parties. Neither Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) nor even the interior minister Mohsin Naqvi has succeeded in convincing Maulana to side with the government.

Even if the government achieves the required number, there is an urge to have the JUI-F chief on its side instead of leaving him to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

According to a ruling party senator, the chances of getting through the constitutional amendments is becoming dim. However, another key MP from the treasury benches said when the "state" takes a decision it makes the things happen.

The government is also working on Akhtar Mengal of the Balochistan National Party but Maulana still remains the prime target to achieve.

Before the last embarrassing anticlimax of the ruling parties' effort with regard to the judiciary related constitutional amendments, the government sources were more confident than now.

Many even in the PML-N set their eyes on Bilawal Bhutto, who is making the case for setting up a Federal Constitution Court. Bilawal, however, has also not yet succeeded in wooing Maulana Fazl who remains relevant even after the latest Supreme Court's decision in Article 63A case.

Originally published in The News