Bilawal goes public with constitutional amendments draft to seek feedback

• PPP in talks with JUI-F to form consensus draft, says Bilawal.
• PPP already reaching out separately to political parties.
• “We give equal role to parliament, judiciary and legal fraternity.”
  

With the government's much-touted constitutional amendment became bone of contention even before being tabled in parliament, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday shared his party’s proposed draft with the general public and sought their “legitimate meaningful” feedback to further improve it. 

Talking to his X handle, the PPP chairman shared copies of his party’s proposed draft of constitutional amendments and wrote: “I welcome legitimate meaningful feedback back from the public on how to further improve our proposed amendment.”

The former foreign minister said that PPP’s initial proposal aligns with the unfinished agenda of the Charter of Democracy.

“PPP’s initial proposal in order to complete the Charter of Democracy’s unfinished judicial reforms agenda.”

The historic Charter of Democracy (CoD) aimed at strengthening democracy in the country was signed between slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif in 2006. 

Backing the PML-N-led government, the PPP chairman said that his party proposed the creation of a federal constitutional court, with equal representation of all federating units.

“The court would address all issues pertaining to fundamental rights, constitutional interpretation and federal/inter-provincial disputes.”

He further said that they also proposed "ending the process of appointment of the judges, by the judges and for the judges".

“Instead, by merging the judicial and parliamentary committees we give an equal role to parliament, judiciary and legal fraternity.”

The PPP chief the draft he shared on his X handle was shared with the government months ago and JUI-F weeks ago. 

Recently, Bilawal said the draft was also shared with the government and opposition members in the meeting of special parliamentary committee setup to debate and evolve consensus on the contentious legislation.  

The PPP has already been reaching out separately to political parties, bar associations and civil society as part of our broader countrywide engagement on this important amendment, he added.

“We are currently engaged in a meaningful dialogue with JUI[-F], a political party from the opposition benches in an attempt to form a consensus draft.”

Bilawal hoped a joint draft can go on to form the basis of a broader consensus of political parties to pass the 26th constitutional amendment.

Earlier in the day, yet another meeting of the special parliamentary committee, chaired by PPP’s Syed Khurshid Shah failed to end the deadlock as JUI-F refuses to back the government’s bid to form constitutional court.

Meanwhile, the special parliamentary body’s meeting was adjourned till October 17, while a sub-committee was formed to contemplate all the drafts pertaining to the constitutional amendment. The sub-committee will submit its report to the main committee.

Firmly sticking to its previous stance, JUI-F refused to back the government’s proposed constitutional package in its current form and suggested to constitute a constitutional bench instead of establishing a separate court to hear constitutional matters.

The constitutional package, among other things, aims to set up a federal constitutional court and fix the tenure of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) for three years.

The government had attempted to present the bill to amend the Constitution last month, but its allies as well as members from the opposition benches vehemently opposed the proposal, forcing the administration to begin a consultation process.