LAHORE: Mian Mumtaz Mohammad Khan Daultana, President of the Council Muslim League, today [March 26] suggested that the country should have a representative Government immediately after the elections in October and the forthcoming Assembly should function simultaneously as a constitution-making body and national Parliament.

He believed that the step would facilitate the passage of Constitution within the stipulated period as it would enable the Constituent Assembly to act as a co-ordinated body and would provide it with some sort of mechanism necessary for constitution-making. He said that until the Constitution was framed and the power was finally transferred to the people’s representatives, President Yahya Khan should continue as Head of State.

He believed there should be a “draft constitution or scaffolding” before the Assembly undertakes the task of constitution-making. He was of the view that such a draft could also come from any or a combination of political parties, but some sort of scaffolding must be there before the elections. Mian Daultana, who was addressing a Press conference, made it clear that these were strictly his personal views and the Party had yet to take a stand over the suggestion.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2020