ISLAMABAD: A political storm over a controversial amendment in the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat declaration for electoral candidates forced the government to reconsider its stance and restore the original text of the declaration as the National Assembly speaker conceded that the change was a “clerical error”.

At the outset of National Assembly proceedings, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq referred to the ongoing controversy and invited parliamentary leaders to his chambers for a discussion on the matter.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament House following the meeting, the speaker conceded that a mistake had been made, adding that all parties had reached a consensus to restore the declaration to its original form.

He said the rules of the house would be suspended to allow for the amendment in the Elections Act 2017 to be moved and passed on Thursday (today).

Analysts believe that the opposition in the Senate can give the government a tough time when the act is re-tabled for adoption in the upper house, providing itself with a second chance to embarrass the government by amending the controversial clause that has paved way for Nawaz Sharif’s re-election as party chief.

NA speaker attributes change to ‘clerical mistake’; law to be re-tabled in parliament today

Lawmakers had pointed out that the wording of form-A, which is submitted by candidates along with their nomination papers, had been changed and the solemn declaration that they believed in the finality of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was omitted.

In the new form, the words “I solemnly swear” had been replaced with “I believe”.

On Tuesday, Law Minister Zahid Hamid had forcefully opposed calls for such an amendment, but was forced to agree following the speaker’s intervention on Wednesday.

When asked whose mistake it was, Mr Sadiq avoided giving a clear answer, saying only that it was always good to acknowledge and rectify one’s mistakes.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi said this was a serious matter that had shaken the country.

He said that his party had also suggested that clause 203 of the Elections Act 2017 should also be reverted to its original form, since it was controversial and had been challenged in court, calling this second chance to consider the law “divine intervention”. He observed that when the government had owned up to one mistake, it should also realise the other.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s Akram Khan Durrani, who is also a federal minister, called for an investigation to fix responsibility for the controversial amendment. “If it was a mistake, it was a grave one,” he remarked, saying that if the move was deliberate, the elements responsible for it should be punished.

Leaders from his party had earlier held a press conference to demand that the text of the declaration be restored to its original form and threatened to quit the government if this was not done.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2017