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ISLAMABAD: With the main opposition PML-N busy in filibustering the 20th amendment bill, members of the National Assembly belonging to parties in the ruling coalition have been directed to ensure their presence in the house on Wednesday for a possible vote on the bill.

“I have to change my travel plans at the eleventh hour as my party leadership has given strict instructions to all party lawmakers to be present in the house on Wednesday for a vote on the bill,” a PML-Q lawmaker said.

If the PML-Q lawmaker is to be believed, the government is determined to get the bill passed on Wednesday.

In reply to a question, the member said a last-ditch effort would be made by the ruling coalition for adoption of the 20th amendment bill through a unanimous vote. Otherwise, the coalition parties had the required two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament and adoption of the bill wouldn’t be a big issue, he added.

While the two sides continued to talk for the unanimous adoption of the bill, behind the scenes both PPP and PML-N leaders were busy in drumming up support for their positions on the issue. On the face of it, the PPP, with the help of its coalition partners, looked set to have the support of 228 members in the National Assembly.

The PML-N Deputy Information Secretary Khurram Dastgir argued that some PML-Q lawmakers had assured the opposition party of their support and, therefore, it wouldn’t be easy for the ruling coalition to adopt the 20th amendment.

He claimed that several lawmakers of treasury benches completely supported the PML-N stand for a completely independent election commission.

Secondly, he said in order to hold free and fair elections, “we need to have an impartial caretaker setup”, another pre-condition the PML-N has put before the ruling party for its support to the bill.

Talking to Dawn, a PPP office-bearer requesting anonymity said that the PML-N was asking too much for its support in the adoption of the 20th amendment. He said that opposition party was looking for complete consensus at the time of formation of a caretaker setup before next elections.

“If tomorrow, the leader of opposition does not agree over the choice of a caretaker prime minister, the government couldn’t wait for consensus because under the Constitution the moment a sitting prime minister completes its tenure, some one has to be there to take his place,” said the PPP official.

According to Article 224 (IA) of the Constitution, on completion of the National Assembly term, the president, in consultation with the prime minister and the leader of opposition, will appoint a caretaker prime minister. The same exercise has to be carried out at the provincial level, where governors are supposed to talk to outgoing chief ministers and leaders of opposition for appointment of caretaker chief ministers. In the presence of Mr Asif Zardari as the president who is also co-chairman of the PPP, the PML-N and other parties want guarantees that the caretaker prime minister should be an impartial person.