Islamabad: The National Assembly passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment with a two-thirds majority, while opposition parties Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Sunni Ittehad Council boycotted the session and walked out.
The session of the House was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, in which the amendment draft was presented, clause-wise approval of amendments took place in the senate. All 59 clauses of the proposed amendments were approved by a two-third majority.
More than two-thirds majority in voting
233 members voted in favor of the amendment, while only 4 votes were cast in opposition. 224 votes were required for approval, thus the amendment was passed with a more than two-thirds majority. The process of clause-wise approval was also completed during the session.
Participation of Nawaz Sharif and Khursheed Shah attracted attention
PML-N leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif specially reached the National Assembly to vote in favor of the amendment. His arrival created political excitement in the House.
Senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah also appeared in the House in a wheelchair despite his illness and voted. Nawaz Sharif went to him, shook his hand and inquired about his well-being, a scene that softened the parliamentary atmosphere a bit.
Amendment approval is being described as historic
According to political observers, the approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment is a major parliamentary success for the government. The amendment has paved the way for the establishment of a constitutional court, amendments related to defense institutions and constitutional protection for the post of field marshal.
Read more: 27th Constitutional Amendment is about modernisation, not power concentration, says former CGS
