ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party has made high-level contacts with Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) to woo its support on the unanimous passage of 20th Constitutional Amendment to provide the constitutional cover to some 29 Parliamentarians who were elected in by-polls both on national and provincial assemblies seats. The Supreme Court had declared the by-elections on old voter lists as unlawful and the same would stand disqualified by February 6 if not provided constitutional cover for which a bill of 20th Constitutional Amendment has already been tabled in the National Assembly. Sources said that keeping in view the urgency of the matter the PPP-led coalition government wanted to defer the joint sitting of the Parliament to first summon the National Assembly session for the passage of the 20th Amendment.
The government was intending to summon the joint sitting in the first week of February but now keeping in view the new development it could be deferred to mid of the month to take up the 20th Constitutional Amendment.
The sources aware of the meeting held between the PPP and PML-N leaders informed TheNation that so far both the parties have failed to break the impasse as PML-N lawmakers wanted fulfillment of the commitment of the government vis-à-vis appointment of independent Chief Election Commissioner and settlement of the issues pertaining to the unanimous nomination of the members of the Election Commission from provinces by Leader of Opposition and Leader of the House some eight months back.
Sources in the ruling PPP informed that Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah on Friday held a meeting with PML-N leaders Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi and Sh. Aftab Ahmad and sought their party’s support on the matter.
The sources said that Khurshid had proposed the deferment of the joint session and holding of the National Assembly session keeping in view the urgency of the matter as in case the National Assembly fails to pass the 20th amendment by February 6, all the MPs elected in the by-elections on old voter lists would stand disqualified in the light of the Supreme Court judgment.
The sources said that the PML-N MNAs remained non-committal and said that they would first take up the matter with Leader of Opposition Ch. Nisar Ali Khan.
However, the sources in the PML-N informed that the party would not extend any support to any of the ruling party legislation till the time they come up with certain assurances to them on the appointment of an independent Chief Election Commissioner and the issues pertaining to the eight nominated members of the Election Commission of Pakistan from the four provinces, unanimously agreed upon by Leader of the House and Leader of Opposition some eight months back.


PPP contacts PML-N on 20th amend bill