KARACHI: Epoch-making measures, the longest ever single sitting stretching over four and a half hours, dramatic speeches characterised as “tall talk” and “fiery words” and two divisions made Friday’s [Jan 6] session of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly historic.

The Assembly adopted the States Negotia­ting Committee report after a stormy debate and passed Mr Liaquat Ali Khan’s motion to allot one seat each to Bahawalpur and Khair­pur and one seat jointly to the Baluchistan states and to ask the governments of these states to nominate their respective representatives.

Never before in the history of the Consti­tu­ent Assembly, had the Opposition pressed for two divisions in one session as on Friday when two Opposition amendments to the Govern­ment of India (Amendment) Bill were put to vote. Both the Amendments were defeated by 20 votes to 12. The Bill was passed.

The historic amendment to the Indian Independence Act seeking to restore the name “The Punjab” to which, what was described as the West Punjab in the Act, was “legally and morally” entitled to was unanimously passed by the Assembly amid loud cheers. …

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2025