Govt tables Cabinet approved amendments on 20A

The government today tabled amendments that were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers this week on the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution in the Parliament.

Submitting the proposals in the House for a two day debate commencing today, Minister of Justice Ali Sabry said that proposals would be taken up for debate ahead of further changes at the Committee stage. 

Earlier, the Opposition parties requested for a five day debate on the proposed bill citing some of the clauses are very detrimental to the country’s sovereignty and the future of the nation.  

The Speaker yesterday announced the determination of the 20th Amendment to the House officially. 

The Supreme Court, in its determination indicated that the apex court ruled four 20A clauses require referendum and the rest can be passed by 2/3rd majority. 

The four clauses that four out of five judges held require a referendum as well as a two-thirds majority in Parliament are the 20th Amendment Bill’s restoration of Presidential immunity to the extent of preventing fundamental rights challenges by citizens, repealing the President’s duty to create the conditions for the holding of free and fair elections as requested by the Election Commission, the dissolution of Parliament within one year and removal of the constitutional duty on public officers to obey directives of the Election Commission with failure to do being an offence (Clause 22)