ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Sunday approved a constitutional amendment package seeking to bring judicial reforms among other changes, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said, describing it as a “milestone.”
Sharif’s administration has been attempting to introduce a set of constitutional changes in parliament since last month which the country’s opposition and legal fraternity argue are aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments. The government rejects these allegations.
The proposed amendments initially suggested establishing a federal constitutional court, raising the retirement age of superior judges by three years and modifying the process for appointing the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
During the cabinet meeting, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar once again gave a detailed briefing on the 26th constitutional amendment and the participants approved a draft of the amendments proposed by the coalition parties.
“The cabinet took the decision in the wider interest of the country while adhering to the oath of national development and public welfare,” PM Sharif was quoted as saying by his office on the occasion.
“By the grace of Allah, after stability of the country’s economy, a milestone has been achieved for constitutional stability and rule of law in the country.”
The draft amendment would now be tabled in the Senate and the National Assembly, upper and lower houses of Pakistan parliament, for approval, according to the law minister.
Former premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has alleged the government is using the amendments to grant an extension in office to incumbent Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, widely seen as aligned with the ruling coalition government. The federal government has rejected Khan’s allegations.
“The political committee of the PTI has decided to boycott the voting process in both houses of parliament, in case the government tables the constitutional amendments,” the PTI said in a statement on Sunday.
Law Minister Tarar earlier said the ruling coalition had worked out the draft after “broader consultation” with all political parties and their leaders in parliament as well as with legal representatives.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally of the Sharif-led coalition government, has been spearheading efforts to woo opposition parties and prominent lawyers to accept the controversial amendments.
In a press conference on Saturday night, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Jamiat Ulama-e-Pakistan Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazl-ur-Rehman confirmed “major” disputes between both sides had been resolved after the government had removed some sections of the initial draft on which the opposition had expressed its reservations.
“The government agreed to withdraw all the contentious sections we objected to, paving the way for consensus,” Rehman told reporters. “At this stage, there are no major disputes between us about the amendments, and most of the contentious issues have been resolved.”
The JUI-F chief said ex-PM Khan’s PTI had been kept in the loop on discussions related to the amendments, adding that he received a message from the former premier which reflected a “positive approach” toward the constitutional amendments.
Pakistan’s federal cabinet approves proposed 26th amendment to constitution
https://arab.news/4ksrt
Pakistan’s federal cabinet approves proposed 26th amendment to constitution
- PM Shehbaz Sharif’s administration has been attempting to introduce a set of constitutional changes since last month
- Ruling coalition member PPP, opposition JUI-F confirm ‘major’ contentious points removed from initial amendments draft
Pakistan opposition rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand release of Imran Khan
- PTI-led gathering calls the former PM a national hero and demands the release of all political prisoners
- Government says the opposition failed to draw a large crowd and accuses PTI of damaging its own politics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanded the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan at a rally in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, describing him as a national hero who continues to command public support.
The gathering came days after a rare and strongly worded briefing by the military’s media chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who dismissed Khan as “narcissistic” and “mentally ill” on Friday while responding to the former premier’s allegations that Pakistan’s chief of defense forces was responsible for undermining the constitution and rule of law.
He said that Khan was promoting an anti-state narrative which had become a national security threat.
The participants of the rally called for “civilian supremacy” and said elected representatives should be treated with respect.
“We, the people of Pakistan, regard Imran Khan as a national hero and the country’s genuinely elected prime minister, chosen by the public in the February 8, 2024 vote,” said a resolution presented at the rally in Peshawar. “We categorically reject and strongly condemn the notion that he or his colleagues pose any kind of threat to national security.”
“We demand immediate justice for Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and all political prisoners, and call for their prompt release,” it added, referring to Khan’s wife who is also in prison. “No restrictions should be placed on Imran Khan’s meetings with his family, lawyers or political associates.”
Addressing the gathering, Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, denied his administration was not serious about security issues amid increased militant activity. However, he maintained the people of his province had endured the worst of Pakistan’s conflict with militancy and urged a rethinking of long-running security policies.
The resolution asked the federal government to restore bilateral trade and diplomatic channels with Afghanistan, saying improved cross-border ties were essential for the economic stability of the region.
The trade between the two neighbors has suffered as Pakistan accuses the Taliban administration in Kabul of sheltering and facilitating armed groups that it says launch cross-border attacks to target its civilians and security forces. Afghan officials deny the claim.
The two countries have also had deadly border clashes in recent months that have killed dozens of people on both sides.
Some participants of the rally emphasized the restoration of democratic freedoms, judicial independence and space for political reconciliation, calling them necessary to stabilize the country after years of political confrontation.
Reacting to the opposition rally, Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar said the PTI and its allies could not gather enough people.
“In trying to build an anti-army narrative, they have ruined their own politics,” he said, adding that the rally’s reaction to the military’s media chief’s statement reflected “how deeply it had stung.”
“There was neither any argument nor any real response,” he added, referring to what was said by the participants of the rally.
