ISLAMABAD: The top official of a leading Pakistani political party, which played a key role in helping Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif form his coalition government, said on Tuesday he did not want a “person-specific system” when asked about a major constitutional amendment package the government plans to push through the national parliament.
The package, which proposes 52 amendments to the supreme national document, was expected to be tabled in the National Assembly and Senate during the last session but was postponed since the government did not have enough numbers to meet the required two-third majority.
The Sharif government is proposing to increase the retirement age of superior judges by three years and revisit the seniority principle in the appointment of the country’s top judge.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party of jailed former premier Imran Khan has criticized the constitutional package, saying it is meant to grant an extension to incumbent Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is widely believed to be aligned with the ruling coalition and in opposition to its chief rival, the PTI.
“I do not want to create a person-specific system that rules someone in or out,” Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), whose support is vital to the government, told ARY News during an interview. “I believe any decision should be made through consultation. There’s no harm if such consultation happens between the executive and the judiciary.”
In response to a question about whether a new chief justice would take oath in October when Isa is scheduled to retire this year, Bhutto-Zardari said he had “no doubt that the next chief justice will be Mansoor Ali Shah.”
The Pakistani lawyers’ associations have already maintained the government is trying to undermine “the unity of the judges” through the constitutional amendment package.
Many believe that Pakistan’s judiciary is divided among judges widely seen to be favoring one political party or another.
The PPP leader maintained neither the judiciary not parliament was working properly.
He also noted that the Supreme Court was primarily consuming its time while adjudicating political matters that occupied nearly 15 percent of its workload.
Key Pakistani politician rejects ‘person-specific system’ amid push for constitutional amendments
https://arab.news/vvcbd
Key Pakistani politician rejects ‘person-specific system’ amid push for constitutional amendments
- Bilawal Bhutto says any decisions regarding laws related to the judiciary should be made through consultation
- He says the Supreme Court is consuming much of its time on political matters occupying 15% of its workload
Pakistani, Bangladeshi officials discuss trade, investment and aviation as ties thaw
- Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war
- Ties between Pakistan, Bangladesh have warmed up since last year and both nations have resumed sea trade
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider on Sunday met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, the latter's office said on, with the two figures discussing trade, investment and aviation.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation, but they split in 1971 as a result of a bloody civil war, which saw the part previously referred to as East Pakistan seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh.
Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have warmed up since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster as a result of a student-led uprising in August 2024. Relations remain frosty between Dhaka and New Delhi over India’s decision to grant asylum to Hasina.
Pakistan has attempted to forge closer ties with Bangladesh in recent months and both South Asian nations last year began sea trade, followed by efforts to expand government-to-government commerce.
"During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and aviation as well as scaling up cultural, educational and medical exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations," Yunus's office said in a statement on X.
In 2023-24 Pakistan exported goods worth $661 million to Bangladesh, while its imports were only $57 million, according to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. In Aug. this year, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi commerce ministries signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Joint Working Group on Trade, aiming to raise their bilateral trade volume to $1 billion in the financial year that began in July.
The Pakistani high commissioner noted that bilateral trade has recorded a 20 percent growth compared to last year, with business communities from both countries actively exploring new investment opportunities, according to the statement.
He highlighted a significant increase in cultural exchanges, adding that Bangladeshi students have shown strong interest in higher education opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in medical sciences, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Haider also said that Dhaka-Karachi direct flights are expected to start in January.
"Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus welcomed the growing interactions between the two countries and emphasized the importance of increased visits as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges among SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member states," the statement read.
"Professor Yunus also underscored the need to further boost Bangladesh–Pakistan trade and expressed hope that during Mr. Haider’s tenure, both countries would explore new avenues for investment and joint venture businesses."
