Government Withdraws Amendment to Article 63-A of the Constitution
The Pakistani government has decided to withdraw its proposed changes to Article 63-A of the Constitution, which was initially part of the constitutional amendment bill. The final version of the bill presented in the Senate no longer includes any amendments to this article.
Key Aspects of Article 63-A
- Article 63-A deals with the disqualification of members of Parliament due to defection or floor-crossing.
- It aims to maintain party discipline and loyalty within political parties by setting rules for how lawmakers should vote on critical matters.
Proposed Changes and Their Reversal
- The government had initially proposed that votes cast against the instructions of a party’s leader would still be counted.
- However, this amendment was removed from the final draft, keeping the current rules of party loyalty and defection unchanged.
Details of Article 63-A
Provision | Details |
---|---|
Voting Rules | Members must follow the party’s direction on specific votes. |
Disqualification Conditions | Defection can lead to disqualification from Parliament. |
Authority of Party Leaders | Leaders can direct members on votes like elections and no-confidence motions. |
Constitutional Impact | Violating the article allows the party leader to request disqualification. |
Impact of the Government’s Decision
The decision to drop the amendment suggests that the current party discipline rules will stay in effect, limiting the independence of individual lawmakers but ensuring that they adhere to their party’s stance on crucial issues.
This move indicates that lawmakers will continue to follow the directives of their party leadership, maintaining stability in the parliamentary process.