- Info minister says press gallery was jam-packed on the day of the Constitutional Amendment passage
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday brushed aside the Opposition Leader’s allegations of “forced voting” for the 26th Constitutional Amendment and exhorted him to manage Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s internal conflict within his party.
He was addressing the sixth meeting of the 10th National Assembly session that commenced with the recitation of Holy Quran. Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq chaired the proceedings.
Tarar while responding to Opposition Omar Ayub Khan said the 26th Constitutional Amendment was not done in haste but rather it took two and a half months.
“The Constitutional Amendment Bill was delayed on the request of Maulana Fazlur Rehman who demanded to hold it after the SCO summit. It was a consensus-based document with the input of all political parties,” he said.
The minister while deriding the Opposition Leader’s accusations underlined the fact the two clauses of the Amendment Draft were removed on the objections of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members and agreement was met on the Constitutional Amendment.
He said that the decision of party voting on the Amendment Bill was to be made by the Parliamentary Leader in his or her parliamentary party’s meeting which was not participated by the Opposition Leader’s party members.
“These were four people who were identified by the media sitting in the press gallery which could be verified through photographic evidence. They were independent members and cast their votes as per their will and were not bound to the directions of the Parliamentary Leader,” Minister Attaullah Tarar said.
The minister claimed that he had met all four members of the National Assembly from the Opposition Benches who had confirmed that they had attended the meeting on their own will and voted as per their conviction.
Tara alleged that the PTI was facing internal conflicts, whereas its members in the Lower House of Parliament had participated in the Constitutional Amendment process on their will.
“The PTI had bargained on the amendment bill and got their demands approved. The Opposition Leader should handle his party conflicts within their house as his party has disintegrated into four groups that are fighting among each other on the floor of the House. He should have accountability within his party,” he said.
Earlier, Opposition Leader, Omar Ayub Khan at his point of order apprised the Speaker that allegedly unknown individuals had entered the premises of the National Assembly in the uniform of Sergeant at Arms which should be probed by the committee formed by the Speaker comprising sergeants and the Assembly staff.
The Opposition Leader said that he would provide photos of the alleged sergeants and also share them on the social networking site X.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq rejected the accusations of the Opposition Leader saying, “The press gallery was jam-packed on the day of the Constitutional Amendment passage. Nothing can evade the eyes of media even if erect walls before them they can precisely unearth hidden things,” he said.
