Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman declared on Thursday that he will not support the federal government’s Constitutional Package under any circumstances. He emphasized that such a significant amendment cannot be rushed through parliament and requires broad consensus.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court unanimously accepted a review petition challenging its 2022 verdict related to Article 63-A of the Constitution. This ruling, pronounced by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, could help the government secure the necessary votes for the proposed constitutional amendments, many of which pertain to the judiciary.
Fazl had previously indicated openness to some aspects of the package, such as establishing a constitutional court and fixing the Chief Justice’s tenure at three years. However, he stressed that any amendments should not be “person-specific.”
At a press conference, Fazl highlighted the importance of political consensus for constitutional changes. “We want constitutional amendments to be made with consensus, ensuring they do not trigger political unrest in the country,” he said.
“I don’t understand the haste; there is no emergency,” Fazl
Fazl also questioned the urgency behind the government’s push for the amendment. “I don’t understand the haste; there is no emergency,” he remarked. “In its current form, with its details and rules, it is incapable of being passed and supported.” He reminded the public that even the 18th Amendment took nine months to pass, arguing that rushing such a significant change in a day is impossible.
Read: Supreme Court Overturns 2022 Verdict on Article 63-A
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to oppose the Constitutional Package. Writing from prison, Qureshi appealed to Bilawal in a letter titled “Let the Constituent Assembly of 1973 not be set on fire by the lamp of Bhutto.” He asked Bilawal to listen to civil society and legal experts about the potential impact of the amendments.
Qureshi warned that setting up a constitutional court without parliamentary consensus could lead to a Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO)-style court, undermining judicial independence. He also warned that judges appointed under such circumstances could be branded “PCO judges.”
In his letter, Qureshi stressed the importance of consulting all stakeholders, urging Bilawal to prevent the amendment from weakening the judiciary and the federation.
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