Fazlur Rehman proposes a new Charter of Democracy; PTI agrees, opposition eyes all-parties conference on 9 or 10 November

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has proposed a new Charter of Democracy, and PTI and other opposition parties have signalled support, ARY News reported on Wednesday 28 October. He made the proposal at a meeting of the opposition alliance in Parliament. No final decision was taken, and the parties agreed to consult further.

What was agreed on Wednesday

• Support in principle: opposition leaders backed the idea and agreed that all political parties must sit together to resolve the country's crisis. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai was phoned during the meeting.
• A conference in November: the parties plan a conference in the second week of November to announce the charter formally. PTI's Asad Qaiser said an all-parties conference could be called on 9 or 10 November.
• PTI's position: Qaiser said his party agreed with the proposal and accused the government of failing on the economy, administration and governance. PTI will brief its members of parliament, and a separate meeting of PTI MNAs discussed the proposal.
• The terms: PTI's Barrister Ali Zafar said the charter's terms will be finalised through mutual consultation, with every stakeholder included.

The contents of the proposed charter have not been made public.

Why "Charter of Democracy" carries weight

The name echoes the Charter of Democracy signed in London in May 2006 by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, then leaders of the PPP and PML-N in exile. It set rules for civilian politics, elections and relations between parties, and shaped later constitutional reforms. Both of those parties are now in the federal government, while the new proposal comes from the opposition benches.

The backdrop

The proposal comes in a tense week. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where PTI formed the elected government, has been under an emergency and governor's rule since 11 October, and on Wednesday the Election Commission ordered local elections there in most districts (our KP local government elections report). The same day Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani resigned from the Lahore High Court, citing the 26th and 27th Amendments (our report on his resignation letter). Jamaat-e-Islami, separately, has said it will march on Islamabad in mid-November if there is no major relief on the petroleum levy, Dawn reported.

What to watch

The draft text, who signs it, and whether the government's parties are invited to the November conference. We will update this page when the conference date and the charter's terms are announced.