ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman emphasized the importance of consensus among political parties and expressed conditional support for the government's "constitutional package" on Friday.
Speaking to journalists, here on Friday, Fazl stated, "We can agree on a suitable draft if our proposals are accepted by the government."
The proposed constitutional package includes plans to establish a federal constitutional court and limit the Chief Justice of Pakistan's (CJP) tenure to three years. Last month, the government attempted to introduce the bill to amend the Constitution, but it faced strong opposition from both its allies and the opposition, prompting a consultation process.
Following a meeting of the Special Committee of Parliament, Fazl said efforts were being made to remove "controversial contents" from the draft. He added that the public had rejected the government's version of the amendments and praised the JUI-F's stance on the issue. "If parliament represents the people, it should not ignore their wishes," he remarked.
Fazl mentioned that the JUI-F and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) were working together to reach a consensus, urging the government to involve other allies in the discussions. He described the government's proposed amendments as "unacceptable" but noted that his party would support the constitutional package if their recommendations were incorporated.
After finalizing a draft with the PPP, the JUI-F would present it to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the PPP would share it with the government, he explained. Fazl also called for restoring the 18th Amendment and abolishing the 19th Amendment, arguing that this would enhance parliament's role in judicial appointments.
He stressed the need for all political forces to unite on the draft and explained that the JUI-F had not voted in favor of the amendments because they were unacceptable in their current form. Regarding the timeline, Fazl noted that it took nine months to pass the 18th Amendment and suggested at least nine days would be needed to resolve this issue.
Fazl opposed the politicization of superior court judges for personal interests and, when asked about creating a separate court for constitutional matters, suggested that a constitutional court and bench could serve similar purposes.
Ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting scheduled for October 15-16, Fazl expressed a desire to warmly welcome all participants and stressed the importance of holding the event in a peaceful environment, noting that protests at that time would be "inappropriate."
