The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has refuted claims of reaching a breakthrough with the federal government regarding proposed constitutional amendments.
JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri clarified that it is the government’s responsibility to pass the amendments by October 25, not JUI-F’s. He shared that 90% of the amendment draft is complete and will be shared with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
However, Ghauri emphasized that the JUI-F does not support the establishment of a constitutional court that would be superior to the Supreme Court. Instead, he reiterated their stance that any amendments should have broad acceptance.
Ghauri proposed that if there is no consensus on forming a constitutional court, an alternative solution could be the establishment of a dedicated bench within the Supreme Court, consisting of 4-5 judges under the Chief Justice. He stressed that the constitutional amendments should serve the 250 million people of Pakistan, rather than any individual or government.
The spokesperson also pointed out that the draft received from the PPP differed from their expectations, raising concerns for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Earlier, reports suggested that the government had reached an agreement with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding the proposed 26th constitutional amendment, particularly concerning the creation of a constitutional court.
According to sources, the constitutional amendment will be tabled in parliament after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which is set to take place on October 15 and 16 in Islamabad. The proposed amendment was extensively discussed during a meeting at the Presidency attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former PM Nawaz Sharif, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Sources indicated that the government ultimately accepted Fazlur Rehman's suggestions on the proposed amendment.