The much-discussed 28th Constitutional Amendment is unlikely to be taken up in the upcoming session of the National Assembly, commencing on the 21st of this month. The summary for convening the session is likely to reach the president's office this week. Highly placed parliamentary sources stated that the session would be turbulent and the government is prepared to deal with the stormy opposition, as the major ally of the government - the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - has planned to show its muscle to the government on several issues.

According to the sources, the independent members belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are also planning to create a ruckus, and it is unlikely that the government will be able to pass any legislation, much like it failed to get its business transacted in the last session, except for a bill regarding the Defence Forces where the PPP wholeheartedly supported the government. Like the last session, the quorum issue will continue to haunt the house.

Incidentally, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and some important federal ministers will not be available to the house during the initial days. They will be busy attending the important 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit session in New York, the sources pointed out. The Islamabad Local Government Amendment Bill, which was passed by the National Assembly standing committee after hectic debate last week, could become a source of headache for the government in the upcoming sitting.

The bill lapsed two days after its passage from the committee, having been originally issued in the shape of a presidential ordinance more than a year ago. It was saved from lapsing in the first instance by the National Assembly and extended for 120 days. It could have been extended for another period of 120 days, but the government opted to put it up in the standing committee, where it was carried after great difficulty.

The PPP members of the committee opposed it tooth and nail. Earlier, the government was contemplating summoning the National Assembly session on 5 September to save the bill, but the session couldn't be convened due to various reasons. The government will have to move for condoning the lapsed period in the National Assembly once the house is in session. After it is approved, the government could venture to put it up in the house for discussion and passage. Sources are of the view that the bill will be transmitted to the Senate after passage from the National Assembly, where the government will have to face another round of tough resistance if the PPP continues to oppose it. Meanwhile, federal government sources have maintained that it wants to refine the governance structure of the capital city by seeking an empowered new administrative unit. The proposal came as a committee led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal finalized recommendations for establishing a new Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) government, either as a province or an administrative unit.