ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Law has notified the withdrawal of notification regarding Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 under Article 89 (2) (b) of the Constitution. The Ministry of Law issued the notification after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the summary sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in which he advised him to withdraw the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance. The development followed a walkout by PPP lawmakers earlier in the evening from National Assembly, led by MNA Naveed Qamar, who alleged that the ordinance had been promulgated without the president’s approval. It may be mentioned here that the notification is withdrawn after the strong protest was lodged by the Pakistan Peoples Party MNAs on the floor of National Assembly against this development. Naveed Qamar termed the move unprecedented and “shameful,” claiming that no ordinance in the country’s legislative history had been enforced without the president’s approval. The legislators threatened to boycott the proceedings of National Assembly and Senate until and unless this notification is withdrawn. However, after the assurances given by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar that he would look into the matter and amicably resolved it, the PPP legislators withdrawn from their stance of boycott and late night the Prime Minister approved the summary regarding withdrawal of this notification. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026