ISLAMABAD   -  Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has once again announced that he will not cooperate with the federal government on the proposed constitutional package at any cost, stating that such an amendment could not be rushed through parliament and requires consensus.

He reiterated his position on the constitutional package while addressing a press conference here on Thursday. He said that while he accepts the Supreme Court’s decision on Article 63-A, he strongly opposes any form of political match-fixing in the process.

“We accept the court’s decision, but it should not be used for match-fixing. The government needs to explain why there is such an emergency to pass these amendments,” Fazlur said, referring to the proposed amendments before the government.

It is to be mentioned that the JUI-F chief previously had hinted at supporting the proposed formation of a constitutional court and had not rejected the government’s proposals to fix the tenure of the chief justice of Pakistan at three years or to increase the age of a judge of the apex court. He added that the constitutional package should not be person-specific.

He, however, called for consensus among political parties on the issue.

“We want constitutional amendments to be made with consensus, ensuring they do not trigger political unrest in the country,” he said.

“I would like the government to postpone this amendment,” the JUI-F chief said. “Political differences need to be resolved and the opposition should cease protesting.”

Fazl also questioned the urgency with which the government was trying to rush the amendment.

“I don’t understand the haste; there is no emergency,” he said. “In its current state with its details and rules, it is incapable of being passed and supported.”

Turning to history, the JUI-F chief recalled that constitutional amendments have taken time to implement and cannot be rushed.

“Even the 18th Amendment took nine months to pass,” he added. “They are asking to pass a Constitutional Amendment within a single day. This is not possible.”