When will July Charter be signed, what’s next for dissent notes? Consensus Commission explains

The third round of talks with political parties and experts is expected next week

The National Consensus Commission has said it will circulate the finalised draft of the July Charter to political parties within the next two days, aiming to fix a signing date once broad agreement is reached.

The future of dissenting views remains under review, as the commission prepares to consult experts in a short third round of talks.

The commission’s Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz outlined the progress on the charter at a press conference at the LD Hall of the parliament building on Friday.

He said whether or not the signing happens soon will depend on the next phase of discussions, particularly after hearing from constitutional experts. A preliminary draft has already been shared with parties and feedback received.

“Based on that feedback, we will now send the integrated final draft within two days. Once all sides agree, the date for signing can be decided,” Riaz added.

According to the commission, the first round of dialogue covered 166 proposals, with consensus reached on 62. The government has already implemented parts of those through ordinances, policy measures and executive actions.

The second phase focused on 20 key constitutional issues. A total of 11 received unanimous backing, while decisions on the remaining nine were taken based on majority support -- accompanied by formal notes of dissent, it added.

The commission plans to seek expert views on those dissenting issues.

“We want to understand how such matters are addressed globally, and how they apply to our reality,” Riaz said.