Consensus Commission aims to release July Charter within a month, says Ali Riaz

National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz says the panel hopes to release the July Charter and initiate its implementation process within a month. During a welcome speech at a meeting on Wednesday, he said the commission’s tenure had been extended by a month, but its members were not interested in prolonging discussions unnecessarily. He explained that the extension was partly due to the need to wind up the commission’s work, noting that any office operating for nearly a year requires some time to conclude its activities properly. Riaz recalled that after Sept 11, political parties had been requested to hold internal talks and present more specific proposals that could narrow down alternatives and move towards consensus. They had provided written...