Information Minister says responding to rumors is useless; Khawaja Asif says there are ‘absolutely’ no talks on amendment
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif (left) and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. Photo: Archives
Federal ministers on Monday rejected rumors about raising the voting age to 25 as part of a proposed 28th constitutional amendment, amid strong criticism of any such move.
Information Minister Atta Tarar dismissed rumors circulating that the government was considering raising the minimum age for voters to 25, saying there was no need to respond to unverified claims.
“There is no need to respond to rumours. There are hundreds of different rumors circulating and it is not clear who is spreading them,” he said while speaking to reporters.
Tarar added that the rumored bill did not contain provisions regarding the minimum age for voters, as reported in the media.
Tarar’s statement came after the Prime Minister’s political affairs advisor Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday that the government was planning to raise the voting age during discussions related to the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.
His suggestions were met with strong criticism from politicians and civil society. Questioned about the matter on a private television programcapital talk‘, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated that there was nothing as such in the project. “At least I don’t know of any such discussion that has taken place,” he said.
Asked if there had been any discussion about any proposed 28th amendment in cabinet, he replied: “absolutely not”.
Speaking during a private television program”Jirga”, Sanaullah was non-committal when asked about the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.
Read: There is no progress towards the 28th constitutional amendment, says the Minister of Justice
“It is agreed that any amendment that comes will be the 28th Amendment, because the 27th has already been done. So now, we should wait for the 28th Amendment,” he said.
However, he did not confirm whether such an amendment was being considered, adding that issues potentially related to a 28th amendment were of fundamental importance and remained part of the ongoing dialogue between political parties and their leaders.
Responding to a question, he backed Pakistan People’s Party President Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s stance that no constitutional amendment could be passed without the ally’s support.
“Yes, absolutely. You are right that no amendment can be made without them, and you are also right to the extent that they have not been informed that we are going to introduce any 28th Amendment,” he said.
However, he added that the PPP itself was aware of the problems at hand and also had proposals to resolve them.
“Consensus building has not yet started. Until there is consensus, no progress will be made towards any amendment,” he said.
Law Azam Nazeer Tarar on Saturday also rejected speculation about the PML-N-led government’s plans to introduce another package of constitutional amendments, saying there is currently “no sign” of the 28th Constitutional Amendment. “Any move towards constitutional changes will only proceed after consultation with coalition partners and other stakeholders,” he said.
He said the government operated under a coalition setup where even ordinary legislation required consultation, making it impossible to make constitutional amendments without consensus.
Azam said the consultation process will move forward when the coalition parties give a signal.
Also read: The PPP despises the government’s 28th adjustment plan
Last week, Bilawal said his party had not been consulted on any proposed constitutional changes, signaling new tensions within the ruling coalition over key legislative issues and the upcoming federal budget.
Bilawal said that while he and President Asif Ali Zardari remained in touch with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government had not yet formally engaged the PPP in any new legislative plan.
He also underlined the party’s central role in the coalition’s parliamentary strength, warning that constitutional amendments and budget approval would not be possible without the PPP’s support.
“The government has not approached the PPP regarding any new constitutional amendment,” Bilawal said, adding that the party had not been given confidence on the matter.
