Top political leaders gathered at the residence of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman late last night in a major step towards reaching a national consensus on the proposed constitutional amendments.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar held a crucial meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was also present.
The meeting, which lasted for two hours, focused on resolving points of disagreement related to the proposed amendments.
According to sources, Maulana Fazlur Rehman raised concerns about the harassment of members from JUI, BNP Mengal, and PTI, urging the government to address these issues. The government assured the JUI chief that the matters would be resolved amicably.
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Government sources claimed that several reservations of Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been addressed. "There is now no significant hurdle left in the way of the amendment," the sources said.
The leaders avoided speaking to the media after the meeting, but insiders suggest that further consultations are scheduled for today.
Earlier, a high-level meeting between leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) concluded on a positive note, with both parties agreeing on several key points of a proposed constitutional amendment,
JUI-F head Maulana Fazlur Rahman took the PTI leaders into confidence on a joint draft for the proposed constitutional amendments. According to sources, the PTI agreed on several key points of the government's joint draft, while further discussions on the remaining points are expected in the next round of talks scheduled for today.
Also Read: Govt's proposed constitutional amendment draft allows dual citizens to contest elections
The PTI delegation, which included Omar Ayub, Asad Qaisar, Salman Akram Raja, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Hamid Raza, and Senator Hamid Khan visited the residence of Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the meeting.
After the meeting, Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed serious reservations about the government's behaviour during the negotiation process. He criticized the government for its alleged harassment of JUI members, including kidnappings and attempts to bribe key figures.
Similarly, PTI leaders raised concerns about the harassment of their own members. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said, "If the government's attitude remains the same, we will not participate in the process of constitutional amendment."
