The political parties comprising the opposition and the government on Friday inched toward achieving consensus on proposed constitutional amendments, agreeing to devise a joint draft prior to its tabling in Parliament.
Addressing a press conference, JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the government had provided his party with its draft of the proposed constitutional amendments for the “first” time. Earlier, the government and opposition had attended a meeting of the Special Committee of Parliament to deliberate on the proposed package of judicial reforms. Members of the PPP, PTI, JUIF, and federal ministers of the PMLN attended the in-camera meeting.
According to unverified drafts of the proposed amendments, the government hopes to setup a federal constitutional court and fix the tenure of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to three years. The bill was originally rumored for presentation in Parliament last month, but the government failed to secure sufficient numbers, resulting in an agreement to pursue consultation prior to its future tabling.
Fazl said the PPP had forwarded its suggestions, adding all parties would now consult with the government on their individual desires. He said the JUIF would also hold consultations with the PPP separately. He said the JUIF would share its draft with the PTI to achieve consensus, but stopped shy of committing to any date for tabling the legislation.
In a separate press conference, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said all parties had shared their opinions during the parliamentary meeting. He said the PPP had submitted its draft, while the government had informed the meeting of its consultations with lawyers’ bodies.
“Maulana Fazlur Rehman reiterated his stance that he wants to present the joint draft with the PPP,” he said, adding he also supported taking all parties onboard. To a question, he said the law minister had expressed confidence about the government securing sufficient numbers for the constitutional amendment.
If the government wants to introduce a joint draft, incorporating all views, despite possessing a two-thirds majority, it is for the best, he said, adding he could not comment on how long this process could take. To a question, he said the ruling coalition would not introduce the bill before the conclusion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, scheduled for Islamabad on Oct. 15-16.
PPP draft
The draft amendments submitted by the PPP support the formation of a constitutional court and also call for changes to Article 175, dealing with the powers of courts, and Article 175A, setting out the process of judges’ appointments.
The PPP has also proposed removing Article 186, which empowers the president to seek the Supreme Court’s opinion on a question of public importance, and replace it with a clause transferring the advisory jurisdiction to the constitutional court.