BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed has rejected the National Consensus Commission’s (NCC) revised proposal to establish a new appointment committee for constitutional and statutory bodies, calling it a move that would unjustifiably curtail the executive branch’s authority.
Speaking to reporters following the sixth day of the second round of talks with the NCC on Tuesday, Salahuddin stated, “I do not support this idea of curtailing the powers of the executive branch through a separate body. Our stance is clear—reform the existing laws. If necessary, enact new legislation. A search committee can be formed with provisions for transparency and accountability. But there is no need to create an additional body through constitutional amendment.”
The BNP leader emphasized that good governance depends on structural reforms to ensure institutional independence, not on weakening the executive arbitrarily. “Democracy can only be strengthened if elections are held under a non-partisan caretaker government, if the Election Commission is fully independent, and if the judiciary can deliver justice,” he said. “Without addressing these core issues, we cannot support curbing executive powers in this manner. That is why we couldn’t agree.”
Salahuddin also expressed BNP’s support for limiting the prime minister’s term to a total of 10 years in a lifetime but linked this issue to the broader structure of governance. “If you simultaneously seek to limit executive authority through committees like the NCC, then we cannot support the term-limit proposal either,” he added.
He further noted that there is no consensus yet on other key issues, including the proposed principles of state governance and constitutional provisions introduced through the 5th Amendment. “These remain unresolved,” he said.
On the specific question of Election Commission formation, Salahuddin acknowledged that the current law is incomplete but argued it could be improved. “The existing legislation can be strengthened. If the search committee process is transparent and its recommendations are made public, we will not object,” he said.
At the same meeting, NCC Vice Chairman Prof Ali Riaz briefed the media on the revised proposal. He stated that the commission had dropped its earlier recommendation to include the President and the Chief Justice in the proposed National Constitutional Council (NCC). Instead, the revised proposal includes the formation of a new “Appointment Committee for Constitutional and Statutory Bodies,” composed of the speakers of both the Upper and Lower Houses.
Prof Riaz clarified that this committee would only oversee appointments to constitutional and statutory bodies, explicitly excluding politically sensitive appointments such as the attorney general or chiefs of the armed forces.
As the commission continues its consultations, Tuesday’s remarks from Salahuddin signal continued resistance from BNP leadership to structural proposals that do not address the party’s core demands: election-time neutrality and judicial independence.
