National Consensus Commission has sent the final draft of the July National Charter to political parties, dropping the earlier proposed timeline for implementing reforms and leaving the issue open-ended.

The political parties have been asked to inform their opinions over the final draft by August 20 next. In its preliminary draft released on July 28, the Commission had proposed that political parties pledge to complete all reforms within two years of forming the next government.

But the final draft states that any recommendations deemed 'immediately implementable' must be carried out by the interim government and relevant authorities through prompt, effective and appropriate measures before the election. 

It, however, does not specify which recommendations fall into that category. “The comprehensive final draft has been delivered to the parties, with August 20 set as the deadline for their feedback on language and phrasing. The content will remain unchanged,” Commission Vice Chair Prof Ali Riaz told the media on Saturday.

The final draft incorporates the 84 issues of consensus reached during two rounds of dialogue between March 20 and July 31, along with dissenting views from BNP and several other parties over some particular points of several issues.

The commission is seeking eight commitments from the political parties, prioritising the context of the July Uprising. The charter states that all its proposals will be implemented as a reflection of the sacrifices made and the aspirations of the people in the July-August 2024 movement and uprising. It has been described as a framework for a new political settlement, which has been adopted on the basis of a consensus.

The Charter urges the political parties to incorporate all its provisions and decisions into the Constitution, declaring that in case of any conflict with the existing laws or constitutional provisions, the Charter will get precedence.

It also says that the authority to interpret any clause or recommendation will rest with the Appellate Division, while affirming that all proposals will be constitutionally and legally binding and cannot be challenged in court.

The Commission stressed that the July-August 2024 uprising as the basis of the new political settlement, framing the Charter as a reflection of the sacrifices and aspirations of that movement. The political parties are asked to ensure justice for those killed during the uprising, accord state honours  to martyrs, provide support to families and rehabilitate injured.