- It is very difficult for govt to bring constitutional amendment without JUI-F Chief’s support: Fawad Ch
ISLAMABAD: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Thursday categorically denied any breakthrough in reaching a consensus on constitutional amendments with the federal government, clarifying that the party doesn’t favour any constitutional court that is above the Supreme Court.
Spokesperson for the JUI-F, Aslam Ghauri declared that it’s the incumbent government’s headache to pass the constitutional amendments before October 25, not JUI-F’s.
The spokesperson revealed that 90% of the proposed amendments draft is ready and will be shared with PTI and PPP, declaring that they don’t want a constitutional court that is above the Supreme Court. He emphasized that their principal stance is that constitutional amendments should be acceptable to all.
He proposed that if there is no agreement on a constitutional court, a separate bench should be established in the Supreme Court, comprising 4-5 judges, under the Chief Justice. He stressed that constitutional amendments are for the 250 million people of Pakistan, not for an individual or government.
The JUI-F leader also mentioned that the draft provided to them by the People’s Party was different, which caused concerns for Bilawal.
Earlier, report circulated that the government achieved breakthrough in talks with JUI’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman over the proposed 26th constitutional amendment.
“The constitutional amendment will be tabled in the parliament after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) session scheduled on October 15 and 16 in Islamabad,” sources said.
‘Constitutional amendment not possible without Fazl’s support’
On the other hand, former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Thursday that it was very difficult for the government to bring constitutional amendment without Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s support.
Speaking to media, Chaudhry said that if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were actual democrats, then things would have been different. He lashed out at the PPP’s 17-year stint in power in Sindh, adding that Bilawal would have brought the constitutional amendment if the he had the required numbers.
Speaking about current number game, he pointed out at the lack of numbers of government’s coalition by saying that the government lacked five senators and seven MNAs. “National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Saiq has written a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for getting reserved seats while the Attorney general has told the government that it can’t get reserved seats after the apex court verdict”.
