Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Senator Ishaq Dar on Thursday defended the votes of two opposition members who supported the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, saying that he belives “voting against the party line is, in fact, following the voice of conscience, instead of defection.”
The Senate has once again passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill with a majority of 64 votes, with the changes approved by the National Assembly a day earlier, amid noisy protest by the opposition.
The government’s legislation once again secured support from PTI’s Saifullah Abro and JUI-F’s Ahmad Khan, who had also voted in favour of the amendment earlier this week.
The PTI and JUI-F, however, objected to their participation, arguing that both had either resigned or were liable to disqualification under Article 63-A for voting against party lines.
PTI Senator Ali Zafar, during the Senate debate, said that the defectors had announced their resignations on the floor of the House and that their votes should therefore not be counted.
“If they have indeed resigned and the article applies, I request that the votes of these two members not be counted. Otherwise, we will challenge the entire process,” he warned.
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza added that those who wish to vote against party lines must follow the proper procedure under Article 63-A, which allows for a reference and subsequent action through the Election Commission.
However, DPM Dar disagreed. He said that while the law allows lawmakers to defy party directives, they do so knowing it may trigger both political backlash and formal references from their parties.
He added that the legal process for disqualification under Article 63-A is clearly defined — the party head must submit a written reference to the presiding officer, who then forwards it to the Election Commission after examining it within two days. The party must also hold a hearing to show cause the defector before seeking disqualification.
He noted that the Senate chairman had clarified, no resignations or formal references have been received against the defectors so far. “They remain honourable members of the House until the legal and constitutional process is completed,” Dar said, adding that lawmakers cease to be members only once the Election Commission denotifies them. He also commended the defectors for voting in accordance with their conscience.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar rejected the opposition’s objections, saying the claim that a member is automatically disqualified under Article 63-A is incorrect. “We shouldn’t twist the Constitution for political point scoring,” he said, explaining that the process of disqualification only begins once a formal reference is filed and concluded by the Election Commission.
