National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Prof Ali Riaz has said political parties have reached a consensus on amending Article 70 of the Constitution, allowing members of parliament (MPs) to act independently on all matters except finance bills and votes of confidence, where they must follow the party line.
He made the statement on Tuesday, following the second day of dialogues at the Foreign Service Academy.
Ali also said that political parties agreed to allocate the posts of chairpersons of parliamentary standing committees on public accounts, privileges, estimation, and public undertakings to opposition members in proportion to their representation in parliament.
He added that except for Islamist parties, all other political parties supported the proposal of reserving 100 seats for women.
However, discussions are still ongoing regarding the method of election for those seats, Ali said.
Most parties also agreed to limit the president’s authority in appointing the chief justice, subject to specific qualifications, said the vice-chairman of the commission.
The commission is scheduled to hold further talks with political parties from 11am on Wednesday.
Topics expected to be discussed include pending issues from Tuesday’s meeting, the formation of the National Constitution Council (NCC), the presidential election process, and the proposed district coordination councils.