LAHORE: The ruling parties held a crucial meeting at Jati Umra, the Sharif family’s residence in Lahore. They made significant progress in securing Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s support. The JUI-F leader is backing their proposed judicial reform package. The agreement, however, still requires cooperation from the PTI to reach complete consensus on the constitutional amendments.
Maulana Fazl Expresses Optimism
Top leaders of the PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F attended the meeting to resolve disagreements over the amendments. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman confirmed progress on several issues during a press conference after the meeting. He expressed optimism, stating, “We are heading towards consensus.”
Maulana Fazl said he would engage with the PTI upon returning to Islamabad to seek its support for the proposed amendments. “We will introduce amendments to strengthen institutions,” he remarked.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari shared this optimism, adding that parliament would pass the amendments at the right time. “The consensus reached earlier between PPP and JUI-F now includes PML-N,” Bilawal said, emphasizing the progress.
He also emphasized that the proposed judicial reforms would ensure the protection of the Constitution and enhance the delivery of justice through a constitutional court.
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Agreement on Judicial Reforms
PML-N leader Ishaq Dar confirmed that the three parties had reached an agreement on the much-discussed judicial reforms. However, one point of contention remains—Maulana Fazlur Rehman is pushing for a five-member constitutional bench in the Supreme Court rather than a separate constitutional court, which is favored by the PPP and PML-N.
A senior PPP leader, speaking to Dawn, remained hopeful that the Maulana would eventually agree to the formation of a separate constitutional court, which is a key demand of the PPP.
High-Level Meeting with Key Leaders
The meeting brought together several high-ranking political figures, including PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and other senior leaders from the ruling coalition.
Notably, the meeting also included Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Governor Saleem Haider Khan, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and PPP’s Murtaza Wahab, among others.
Karachi Meeting Sets the Stage for Consensus
A day before this Lahore gathering, Maulana Fazl met Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Karachi. The two leaders agreed on a joint draft for the constitutional amendments and committed to building consensus among other parliamentary parties. This cooperation paved the way for the latest progress in Lahore.
The ruling PML-N had previously attempted to pass these judicial amendments but failed due to the lack of JUI-F’s support. As a result, the legislation could not be tabled despite the parliament being in session. Since then, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken the lead in forging an agreement on these “much-needed judicial reforms,” particularly the establishment of a constitutional court.
A senior PPP official noted that the formation of the constitutional court has long been part of the unfinished agenda of the Charter of Democracy, originally signed by the late Benazir Bhutto.
As the ruling parties continue to seek consensus, all eyes are now on whether the PTI will join the discussion and help bring the reforms over the finish line.
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