The 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill has been formally presented for discussion in the Senate.
The Senate session, chaired by Yousaf Raza Gillani, has commenced, with Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar delivering his remarks.
To pass this amendment, the government requires a two-thirds majority, equating to 64 votes in the Senate.
However, the government currently faces a shortfall of one vote. Presently, the ruling coalition has 24 senators from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), 19 from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), 4 from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and 3 from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
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In addition, the government enjoys the support of 4 independent members, 3 members from the Awami National Party (ANP), and 1 member each from the National Party (NP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q). In total, these alliances bring the government’s current support base to 59 senators.
The situation remains fluid, if Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) lends its support, the total votes will rise to 64. However, due to the Chairman’s inability to cast a vote, the government still has 63 votes—just one vote short of the required majority.
