JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Friday that his party agreed with the ruling coalition on the establishment of a constitutional court, however, he saw the government’s “ill intention” under the proposed constitutional amendment.

“We have a consensus on the formation of a constitutional court, but we saw an ill intention in this that despite approving such a constitutional court they were trying to defeat the opposition and use it for their personal benefit,” he said at a press conference in Multan.

The JUI-F became the centre of attention in Pakistan’s politics on the weekend after it kept the government on its toes over the vote for a controversial constitutional amendment.

According to media reports, there was more than one draft of the proposed legislation after the JUI-F raised concerns over it. The government made several trips to Fazl’s house on Sunday while keeping sessions of both houses of Parliament delayed.

When the day was about to end the government managed to bring its former ally to Parliament, only to attend the special committee where one of Fazl’s suggestions came out: delay the tabling of the bill by Monday. But it could not happen on the next day because the government could not convince the party over the bill.

Kamran Murtaza, who is Fazl’s go-to guy for legal matters, told Spot Light with Munizae Jahangir earlier this week that he had objections to amendments to articles 8 (Fundamental Rights) and 199 (Jurisdiction of High Court) of the Constitution, saying that tweaks aimed at infringing upon the basic rights and weakening the court rights.

At the presser, Fazl reiterated similar concerns. The JUI-F chief stated that he had previously requested discussions once the draft was made available, but the government was “reluctant” to provide it. “Finally, a copy has been provided, although I cannot confirm whether the copy given to the PPP and us is the same.”

On Wednesday, Fazl rejected the proposed constitutional amendments and laid out his party’s stance on the issue.

He suggested focusing on reforms rather than constitutional amendments, emphasising that the government was “hastily passing bills” without proper preparation.

Fazl noted a previous argument that if a constitutional court were established, it would handle cases involving institutions. But he pointed out that at that time the government did not have a majority, which led JUI-F to decline voting on the draft. He also mentioned that an agreement was reached with Bilawal to create and share a joint draft. “Our lawyers are currently working on the draft.”

The JUI-F stated that the primary functions of Parliament are “constitutional and legislative development,” emphasising that his party was not willing to accept any constraints on the process. He warned that “if the balance of power among institutions is disrupted, it could lead to the collapse of the system.”

He was of the view that conflicts between institutions weaken the country and that the judiciary was being further undermined. “If the military, judiciary, and parliamentarians operate within their respective domains, the system will function properly. However, we see malice, as the government appears to want to use this for its own interests.”

Fazl pointed out that the Constitution protected the fundamental rights of every citizen, but he claimed that such rights have been restricted while the military’s role was being expanded.

Also, read this

Will the Constitutional Amendment impact extensions for army chiefs?

JUI-F refutes Hamid Mir’s claim about pressure on Fazl

Maulana ‘firmly rejects’ proposed constitutional amendment

He expressed concern that changes regarding the appointment and transfer of judges could disrupt the judicial system, stating that it was “merely a means to provide protection to the government.”

While reiterating his demand for new elections, Fazl said that his party does not recognise the results of the previous elections and insists on holding fresh general elections.