Nawaz, Bilawal discuss constitutional tweaks for second time in three days

• PTI's Asad Qaiser talks with Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
• JUI-F chief has requested PTI to defer demonstration.
• MQM-P links its support to empowering local govt.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, over the phone, contemplated the current political situation particularly the efforts around proposed constitutional amendments.

The two leaders belonging to one of the largest parties of Pakistan have established contact twice in three days; once they held a meeting on Thursday and then they held a telephonic conversation on Sunday.

Bilawal briefed Nawaz on the progress made between the JUI-F and PPP on the constitutional tweaks. Consensus on the 26th constitutional amendment among the political parties also came under discussion in conversation between the two leaders.

On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s senior leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser talked with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over the phone.

In a post on ‘X’, Qaiser said Fazl supported the PTI’s demand of providing medical facilities to former prime minister Imran Khan in jail and giving him access to a personal physician.

The PTI leader said the JUI-F chief had requested the PTI to defer the demonstration on October 15 owing to the SCO summit.

“There is a harmony between the two parties on most points of the constitutional amendment draft of JUI-F, and a meeting of the two parties will be held on October 17 for further consideration of the draft,” he noted.

The former NA speaker said that he had assured the JUI-F supremo that his suggestions would be put before his party leaders and then they will be informed about the party’s decision.

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 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 PML-N to begin a consultation process.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday assured the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) that they would work on the proposed local government (LG) amendment bill after the approval of the constitutional package by the parliament.

This came a day after an MQM-P delegation, in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, purportedly made its support for the constitutional amendments conditional to the empowerment of the local bodies.

Local media reported citing sources that the MQM-P delegation asked PM Shehbaz to amend Article 140-A on local government.

In line with the directions of PM Shehbaz, the federal minister visited the MQM-P headquarters in Karachi on Sunday to discuss the proposed constitutional tweaks.

Addressing a joint press conference flanked by MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the federal minister said that they discussed the current political situation in the country.

“The MQMP’s leadership has been assisting and guiding us on all the economic issues.”

He said that no democratic party could oppose the constitutional package. “After the constitutional amendment, we will work on the MQMP’s proposed amendment bill involving the local body governments.”

Iqbal said that PML-N and MQM-P would work together to provide constitutional protection to the local governments. The federal minister further said that he assured the MQM-P of starting work on development projects in the metropolis. “Steps would be taken to recover the MQM-P’s missing workers.”

He said they respect the MQM-P’s mandate and they were also working on the urban package.

JUI-F proposals

Meanwhile, Maulana Fazl has shared his party’s draft of the Constitution (26th Amendment) Bill, 2024 with the media wherein the JUI-F has proposed elimination of all kinds of Riba on state level and in all private institutions by January 1, 2028.

The draft of the Constitutional Amendment also contained proposed amendments on the establishment of constitutional benches in the Supreme Court and high courts and re-appointment and extension in services of services chiefs.

For amendment in Article 38 of the Constitution, the JUI-F has proposed substitution of clause (f) which says that the state shall eliminate all kinds of Riba on state level and in all private institutions by January 1, 2028 and shall introduce the Islamic Monetary System free from all kinds of Riba.

As per addition in Article 70 (1) of the Constitution, it has been proposed that on laying a bill in either of the Houses, a copy shall immediately be forwarded to the Council of Islamic Ideology by secretariat of that House for consideration and opinion.

Similarly, as per an amendment in Article 115, a bill presented to the provincial assembly, not the money bill, the same shall be sent to the Council of Islamic Ideology for consideration and opinion.

The JUI-F also wanted to add clause 5 in Article 243 on appointment and re-appointment of services chiefs. It says the appointment, re-appointment, extension in service, removal as services chiefs shall be in accordance with the laws relating to armed forces but once appointed then the re-appointment, or an extension in service is made, the same shall not be altered unless such question is placed before special committee of the both the houses.

The JUI-F draft also proposed establishment of a constitutional bench in the Supreme Court having five senior most judges, including the chief justice.

It also proposed establishment of constitutional bench in each high court having three senior most judges, including the chief justice.

The matters decided by the constitutional benches of the high courts relating to disputes with regard to interpretation of law shall be heard and decided by the Constitutional bench of the apex court.

The JUI-F draft also proposed to repeal the 19th Amendment and restoration of the 18th Amendment, to the extent of appointment of judges.

'Not being done in a hurry'

Furthermore, in a post on social media platform ‘X’, the PPP chief said that the 26th constitutional amendment was not being done in a hurry and it was long overdue. He said Justice Dorab Patel had also proposed the idea of a constitutional court to his colleagues at the Human Rights Council of Pakistan (HRCP), Asma Jahangir and I A Rehman, who agreed with him.

He argued on the establishment of the federal constitutional court and provincial constitutional courts. “We never legislate or amend the Constitution at a whim like dictators and judges have so easily done. We work towards our goals for generations,” he wrote on social media platform X.

Bilawal said that Justice Patel was one of the four honourable judges who acquitted former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and denied to become a party to his judicial murder. “He held that there wasn’t the evidence to convict Quaid-e-Awam, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and he did not consider approver as a reliable witness,” he said.