Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has announced significant progress in talks with JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
In a media briefing, Gohar revealed that both parties had reached a consensus on the proposed amendment, and the Special Committee had approved the draft agreed upon with Maulana.
Barrister Gohar stated, “We had an extensive discussion with Maulana Fazlur Rehman today.
Another draft was shared with us, and while our meeting was ongoing, we received the news that the Special Committee had approved the same draft we had agreed upon with Maulana.”
Gohar emphasized that the ongoing negotiations are approaching a final outcome, with optimism that a resolution will be achieved soon. "Today, we received the fourth draft of the proposed constitutional amendment. Our discussions are ongoing, and we expect to reach a conclusion shortly," he added.
Regarding his meeting with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Gohar noted that no discussions were held on the amendment. "We met with Bilawal Bhutto, but the constitutional draft was not a topic of conversation," he clarified.
Gohar also shed light on PTI’s stance regarding their party's founder, former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He stated that no final decision would be made until they consulted with Khan, who has been unable to meet with the party leadership for over two weeks. "We will proceed based on the founder's instructions.
It has been more than two weeks since we last met with him, but we plan to submit a formal request today for a meeting tomorrow," Gohar explained.
According to sources, the meeting between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the PTI has brought crucial developments regarding the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Sources revealed that Maulana Fazlur Rehman handed over the fourth draft of the constitutional amendment to the PTI delegation during their discussions. This draft has now become the focal point of deliberations within PTI.
PTI has reportedly requested time to review the draft with a four-member legal team.
According to insiders, this team will be headed by Barrister Gohar, with notable legal experts including Hamid Khan, Salman Akram Raja, and Senator Ali Zafar also on board.
"The special legal team will thoroughly review the draft and then contact Maulana Fazlur Rehman," a source close to the negotiations shared.
Despite the ongoing talks, PTI has refused to support the constitutional amendment until its founder is consulted.
"PTI has declined to endorse the amendment until they have had a meeting with the party's founder Imran Khan," sources within PTI indicated.
The party has made it clear that they will not participate in the amendment process until the founder's approval is obtained.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman has hinted at facilitating a meeting between the PTI delegation and their founder. The meeting is expected to take place tomorrow, as per PTI insiders.
Adding to the complexity of the political scenario, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made an unexpected visit during the PTI-Maulana meeting.
Bilawal shook hands with the PTI delegation and even expressed his willingness to meet and hold discussions with them. However, PTI members reportedly made it clear that any such meeting would depend on the approval of their founder.