Draft of July charter to be finalised this week

The National Consensus Commission will finalise the draft of the July Charter this week. At the same time, it will prepare separate recommendations on its implementation based on expert opinions and submit them to the government. The information was shared during a meeting with 17 political parties at the National Parliament on Monday (September 1).

Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz said the final draft could be sent to the parties by Thursday. Political parties have been asked to submit written opinions on how to implement the charter. Their feedback, combined with expert opinions, will be used to prepare implementation recommendations, which will be presented in formal discussions with political parties and later forwarded to the interim government.

On Sunday, the Commission held informal talks with eight political parties, where several proposals were raised for implementing the charter, including forming a Constituent Assembly, holding a referendum, establishing a constitutional reform council, presidential declaration, or ordinance.

In Monday’s meeting, parties also gave differing views on implementation. Some proposed a referendum, others suggested parliamentary approval, while some called for a legal framework. Almost all agreed that reforms that are feasible now should be implemented immediately through ordinances by the interim government.

Several parties warned that if the July Charter issue remains unresolved, the national election will be delayed, and the country’s situation could become unstable. They emphasized the need for expert guidance to reach a compromise.

The Commission clarified that once the final draft is delivered, no further opinions will be accepted. Parties were asked to submit written views on implementation by Wednesday. However, implementation measures will not be included in the charter itself.