The controversial constitutional amendment passage in Parliament “hinges on” the legal experts of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s political party as the government courts him for the crucial vote.

“Whether it takes an hour, a week, or a month, the JUI-F will not take a position on supporting or opposing the draft until our legal experts approve it,” JUI-F leader Rashid Mehmood Soomro said while appearing on News Insight with Amir Zia which was aired on Aaj News on Monday night.

The upcoming legislation, referred to as the “26th Constitutional Amendment,” aims to establish a fixed three-year term for the chief justice of Pakistan.

Originally, the government planned to introduce this amendment in both the National Assembly and Senate today (Monday), but it failed to do so over the weekend despite extensive efforts to gather the necessary support.

Details of the proposed changes, which had been largely confidential, were discussed in a special parliamentary committee meeting held on Sunday night. This meeting sought to engage the opposition, but it left both opposition members and government allies dissatisfied.

The PTI has raised concerns about the absence of a draft during the three-hour meeting, asserting that the government has made “all possible efforts” to block the introduction of the amendment package.

Votes from the JUI-F are critical for the government in both houses of Parliament, with sources indicating that the government has secured two votes from the opposition.

Soomro stated that the JUI-F believes judicial reforms were essential and if a draft was presented, the party would consider accepting it.

He mentioned that the government had sought JUI-F’s assistance, to which they responded that a draft must be provided first. “If you want our support, give us the draft so we can review it and consult our legal experts before giving you a yes or no.”

Soomro did not specify how much time the legal experts would take, saying that any approval would be given after their opinion.

While speaking about the visit of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, he claimed that there was a contradiction and ambiguity in their stance.

When asked if JUI-F had received the draft, he replied: “We have received some parts, but not everything. Our legal team is currently working on what we have received.”

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Soomro alleged that the struggle was about power and protecting their people, saying that the PTI opposes the entire system because “they fear that judges unfavourable to them will not be appointed,” preventing former prime minister Imran Khan from being released from jail and hindering their return to power. He claimed the government aims to block the appointment of judges allegedly aligned with PTI.

He claimed that Fazl was focused on the welfare of the people and Pakistan, placing the responsibility of governance above all else.

When asked about the type of offers made to persuade Fazl, he said: “Where your thinking ends, their offers begin.”