ISLAMABAD: Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal has demanded the release of missing persons in exchange for supporting the ruling coalition in passing the Constitution Amendment Bill. Mengal is of great importance in the current political scene as the ruling coalition is desperate to pass the constitutional amendment at any cost. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani addressed him on Sunday. Sources said the Baloch veteran refused to vote until the missing were found. The government coalition is trying to meet the necessary numbers in both houses of parliament to approve the legislation, and the BNP-M has two votes in the Senate. Sources said Mengal requested a draft of the proposed legislation from Sadiq Sanjrani. They added that the BNP-M chief had demanded the release of 2,000 missing persons in exchange for his two votes in the upper house of parliament. The BNP-M chief had earlier announced his resignation from the National Assembly. Criticizing the current political system, Mengal said it would be better to open a small business than continue in a role where the assembly does not listen to their voice. Mengal was elected as a member of the National Assembly from NA-256 Khuzdar. The government called an important meeting of the Senate and the National Assembly on Sunday to present a draft constitutional amendment. The six-point program of the National Assembly was also published. The draft constitutional amendment concerning the judiciary contains a proposal to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges to 68 years from 65 years and of high court judges from 62 years to 65 years. The upcoming amendment will also change the procedure for appointing judges to the higher judiciary and the merger of the parliamentary judicial committee with the justice commission.
