Senate approves 20th amendment

ISLAMABAD: The Senate approved the 20th constitutional amendment during its session on Monday.

The 20th amendment will become part of the Constitution after it is signed by President Asif Ali Zardari.

The bill received 74 votes in its favor while only 2 votes were cast against it.

The bill had already been passed unanimously by the National Assembly.

Earlier, government and opposition had reached an agreement on the 20th amendment to the Constitution just before its presentation in the Senate for approval.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in his address following passage of the 20th Constitutional amendment, congratulated the parliamentarians, saying the names of those who approved the bill would be written in history.

He said the 1973 Constitution guaranteed the country's security and that the next general elections would be free, fair and transparent. "Now no one will be able to level an accusation of rigging in the next elections," he added.