Atta Tarar dismisses speculation on 27th amendment

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, rejected any possibly of the government introducing the 27^th amendment, just two days after passing the 26^th amendment.

According to reports, Tarar ‘advised’ against speculating on the subject. “No discussion was held on the 27^th constitutional amendment in any government or legal committee meeting”.

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His comment follow a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Zardari in Lahore.

As per sources, the three discussed a proposed 27^th amendment focused on provincial autonomy. Sources indicate the leaders agreed to introduce the amendment to address concerns by provinces.

Tarar said that no draft of the amendment has been tabled or discussed at any government level, including with the law minister or attorney general.

The PML-N leader also said that a special parliament committee, chaired by the Khurshid Shah, was tasked with working on legal reforms. “It is an evolving door, and if the parliament believes there is a need for further legal reform, the committee will” look into it.

In a response to question about the Supreme Court’s Practice and Procedure Committee, Tarar stated that the government was not concerned about the inclusion of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar.

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However, he did voice reservation regarding the Supreme Court’s July 12 verdict, which declared the PTI eligible for reserved seats for minorities and women in parliament.