ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to five PTI-supported MNAs for their pivotal role in passing the 26th Constitutional Amendment, acknowledging that their votes were essential to securing its approval.
During a federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister stated, “I extend special thanks to the independent members who did not align with any political party. Their backing was crucial in passing the 26th Amendment, with 65 votes in the Senate and 225 votes in the National Assembly.”
The government, which lacked a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, relied on the support of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and opposition members. Among the PTI-backed MNAs who supported the amendment were Usman Ali, Aurangzeb Khichi, Mubarak Zeb, Zahoor Qureshi, and Chaudhry Ilyas. Following their actions, the PTI announced disciplinary measures against them.
PM Shehbaz hailed the amendment as a “milestone” for political and economic stability, emphasizing that it would benefit public welfare by speeding up justice. He praised the bipartisan effort, aligning it with the Charter of Democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in 2006, and stressed that the successful passage of the bill reflected true political consultation.
Key Cabinet Decisions
The prime minister also called for an immediate report on the alarming rise in polio cases and directed authorities to devise a comprehensive strategy to tackle the issue. Expressing concern, he requested a meeting to review the polio situation.
The cabinet referred the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2024 to the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases. The bill aims to establish a legal framework to combat domestic violence, prosecute offenders, and provide relief to victims.
In other decisions, the cabinet approved the appointment of retired Lt Gen Moazzam Ijaz, Engineer Fahim Iqbal, and Asim Shahryar as private members of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission Board.
The Ministry of Law was designated as the responsible agency for processing applications under the Claims for Maintenance (Recovery Abroad) Act 1959, which Pakistan ratified in 1956.
Additionally, the cabinet endorsed Dr. Shafia Arshad as chairperson of the National Council for Tibb and appointed other members, including Dr. Rizwan Asif, Muhammad Khurshid Alam, Ikramullah, Moinuddin, and Dr. Attaullah. It also approved the restructuring of the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, following a recommendation from the Ministry of National Health.
