Pakistan government seeks support from Maulana Fazlur Rehman for controversial constitutional amendment bill
- In Reports
- 11:34 AM, Sep 16, 2024
- Myind Staff
A delegation from the Pakistan government met with prominent cleric and right-wing politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday to seek his backing for a controversial constitutional amendment bill aimed at altering judiciary-related laws. The bill proposes significant changes, including increasing the retirement age of judges and revising the tenure of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
While the government has not officially shared the full details of the amendments with the media or the public, reports suggest that the changes could raise the retirement age of Supreme Court judges by three years. Currently, under Article 179 of the Constitution, Supreme Court judges retire at 65, while Article 195 sets the retirement age for high court judges at 62. The government is also considering changes to the seniority principle in appointing the Chief Justice, who is presently selected based on seniority, as per Article 175A of the Constitution.
Additionally, the government is planning to establish a constitutional court and amend Article 63-A, which deals with the defection of lawmakers.
However, the government faces a significant hurdle as it lacks the two-thirds majority required to pass the constitutional amendments. Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), with eight members in the National Assembly and five Senators, holds a critical position in the parliament, and his support could prove decisive.
Government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Azam Nazeer Tarar, were part of the delegation that met Rehman. Opposition leaders from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also visited him throughout the day.
According to sources, Maulana Rehman supports the amendments in principle but has reservations about parts of the proposed package. He emphasised the need to include PTI in discussions to build a broader consensus on the constitutional changes.
In a highly unusual move, separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate were convened on Sunday. The National Assembly session, initially scheduled for 11:30 am, was delayed multiple times and eventually postponed to 8 pm. Similarly, the Senate session, originally set for 4 pm, was pushed back to 11 pm. The cabinet meeting, intended to endorse the amendment before its introduction in parliament, was also delayed.
Information Minister Atta Tarar later explained that the tabling of the constitutional amendment had been postponed to allow further consultations. "The process of consultation will continue until an agreement is reached," he said, adding that the reforms are intended to benefit the public and are not aimed at any specific individual. The government, he noted, was still working to introduce the amendment as soon as possible.
The bill was initially expected to be introduced in parliament on Saturday, but it was delayed due to what appeared to be a lack of sufficient support from the ruling coalition. No official explanation for the postponement has been provided by the government.
Image source: Duniya News
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