ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the 21st Constitutional Amendment Bill 2015 and Pakistan Army Act 1952 (Amendment) Bill 2015.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed with 247 votes – 14 more than the required two-third majority.
The amendment – aimed to set up special courts to try militants – was not opposed by any member present inside the house. Lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Sheikh Rasheed abstained from voting.
Each clause of the bill was voted for separately. The bill is now expected to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by the president this week.
It will stay on the books for two years, allowing special courts to try anyone accused of terrorism offences.
SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency – Earlier Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met parliamentarians to convince them to vote in favour of the proposed constitutional amendment and reiterated that the current extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary measures.
The bill was presented in the National Assembly seeking changes in the Constitution and Military Act to speed up trial of terrorists after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan gunmen killed over a hundred schoolchildren in an attack on December 16, 2014.
Despite political parties extending support to these steps in an all parties meeting, many dissenting voices marred yesterday’s assembly session in which the bills were meant to be passed.
Voting was deferred till today and PM Nawaz held a meeting with other lawmakers at the Speaker’s chamber to discuss the bill.
He requested all parliamentarians to inform their voters about the measures taken to eliminate the scourge of terrorism.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
