The National Consensus Commission (NCC) is moving toward finalising key political and constitutional reform proposals, with political parties set to be officially briefed on the outcomes by Thursday, according to Vice Chair Professor Ali Riaz.
“Decision-making is among the most important responsibilities you’ve entrusted to us, and we are working to complete this as soon as possible. We hope to communicate our decisions to the parties by tomorrow,” Riaz said during the second phase of dialogue with political parties on Wednesday.
The day’s discussions centred around several pivotal reform areas, including the authority and role of the president, the process for presidential elections, the structure and selection mechanism of an upper parliamentary chamber, women’s representation in parliament, and the potential expansion of fundamental rights.
Other key topics included proposals concerning the core principles of the state and the appointment processes for key constitutional offices, including the Public Service Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the Office of the Ombudsman.
On women’s parliamentary representation, Riaz noted that significant progress had been made and that a draft proposal was shared with political parties for review.
The NCC also submitted a separate proposal concerning the expansion of citizens’ fundamental rights. While all parties expressed agreement in principle, differences remain over how such changes should be enshrined in the Constitution.