Pakistan adopts 20th constitutional amendment

Pakistan's National Assembly on Tuesday passed 20th Constitutional Amendment B ill with consensus to validate election of 28 members of the Senate, National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies.

The House also adopted to lay down basis for an independent Election Commission, formation of Caretaker government for holding new elections and a provision to nominate members against reserve seats even after exhaustion of the submitted priority list of the candidates by respective parties.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the 20th constitutional amendment unanimously approved by the National Assembly will ensure free, fair and transparent elections and an independent Election Commission.

The Prime Minister said, “the amendment is another feather in the cap, it has increased dignity of the Parliament and strengthened democracy.” The Prime Minister congratulated the Speaker, National Assembly, Parliament and the nation over the unanimous passage of the 20th amendment. He said in the past, Parliament passed 18th and 19th amendments unanimously, and now again this amendment has conveyed a clear message that politicians with different programmes and manifestos can get united for a national cause.

The amendment is a message for those who thought that politicians cannot sit together, he added.

The Prime Minister said the amendment will also ensure that the interim government will not be headed by an imported prime minister but a Prime Minister who is from the House and has the support of 180 million people of Pakistan.

He said the 20th amendment is made with a futuristic strategy for the benefit of coming generations and to meet the requirement of holding free and fair elections.