Judicial reforms are essential: Dar.
ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to bring amendments through consensus instead of rushing the constitutional changes, close aides said.
Zardari, who is the supremo of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has himself led many constitutional amendments including the one to empower the prime minister and shift presidential powers to the parliament. But Zardari had not tried to rush amendments and tried to convince the smaller parties to support him.
PM Shehbaz Sharif had to step back when he had almost done his job. The parliament was in session and suddenly JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman pulled out citing differences on the proposed package.
Zardari’s close aides told The Nation, that the President was in contact with PM Sharif and had urged him to show patience. “The amendment can’t be rushed. We should do what we can do at the moment and then wait for the appropriate time to do more. The other option is to wait for the two-thirds support,” the President suggested according to one aide.
Another aide of the PPP supremo said the president wanted to bring the Constitutional Court first. “The PM has been advised to see if he can attract two-third majority for his (PM’s) own package,” he added.
The proposed constitutional amendments, aimed at increasing the political executive’s influence over the judiciary remain a contentious issue between the government and the opposition - and even within the coalition parties.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration was unable to gain opposition support for its “constitutional package,” a set of amendments as described by officials and the media. Despite this setback, the government maintains that the proposed changes to the constitution are still on the table.
The opposition, led mainly by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), which is now operating under Khan’s leadership from prison, has harshly criticized the proposals.
They argue that the reforms are unconstitutional, noting that no formal draft of the amendments has been provided to either them or the public.
The government’s package reportedly contains more than 50 proposals, largely focusing on the judiciary. One of the central ideas is the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court, which would function alongside the Supreme Court to interpret constitutional clauses.
The package also suggests extending the retirement age for judges in the new court to 68, compared to the standard 65 years in other courts. Judges serving in the Constitutional Court would have a three-year term limit, unlike those in other courts.
The Chief Justice of the proposed Constitutional Court would be appointed by the President based on the Prime Minister’s recommendations, diverging from the current practice where a Judicial Commission handles appointments for the Supreme Court.
Another significant amendment proposes overturning a Supreme Court ruling from May 2022, allowing legislators to vote against their party lines in parliament.
For these constitutional amendments to pass, the government needs a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate. In the National Assembly, with 336 seats, the government requires 224 votes but currently has 214, even with support from an additional eight members of the JUI-F. In the Senate, where 64 votes are needed, the government has 57, falling short even with potential support from five JUI-F senators.
The opposition, particularly the PTI, believes these amendments are an attempt to undermine the judiciary’s independence.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday urged all the political parties to come forward for making Pakistan an economically powerful state. All the political parties including Opposition should sit together to steer the country out of the present challenges, he said while talking to a private television channel.
Commenting on judicial reforms, he said constitutional amendment and judicial reforms are imperative to strengthen the system and resolve thousands of the cases of the people pending in the lower and upper courts. He said judicial reforms are essential to provide speedy justice to people.
In reply to a question about future of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), he said PTI has been involved in May 9 riots and attacks on security institutions. He said that the cases of PTI would be tackled in the courts and they will decide the future of founder of the party.
To a question about participation of Shehbaz Sharif at world highest forum and absence of deputy prime minister there, he said PM Shehbaz Sharif has played vital role while highlighting the important issues at the UN forum. High level delegation from Malaysia and China are visiting Pakistan for important discussions, and the deputy prime minister should stay here to tackle all the official matters, he stated.