PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has described the reforms in the justice system as “critical” while reaffirming his commitment to establishing a constitutional court to ensure that no elected prime minister was subjected to unjust execution in the future.

“We will not rest until a constitutional court is established,” he said while addressing the Sindh High Court Bar Association in Karachi.

Bilawal clarified that his party opposes any legislation designed to benefit or harm an individual, emphasising the importance of fairness in the legal system.

Under his proposed amendments, Bilawal said the constitutional court would ensure equal representation for provinces, with a rotation policy in place allowing the chief justice of Pakistan to be appointed from each province in turn.

The afore-mentioned demand was one of the things in the proposed constitutional amendment, which the ruling coalition failed to present in Parliament after failing to complete the required number of votes.

And this is nothing new, according to JUI-F legal expert Kamran Murtaza. When he appeared on Spot Light with Munizae Jahangir which was aired on Aaj News on September 17, Murtaza said the formation of a constitutional court was an old demand which could be discussed.

He added that amendments should not be person-specific while speaking about the changes to removing the word “consent” from the law related to the transfer of high court judges.

Bilawal in his speech highlighted the strength of the 1973 Constitution, recalling the country’s experiences under authoritarian regimes. “We have seen tyrannical rule, and for three generations, we have been involved in constitutional development.”

The scion of the Bhutto dynasty pointed out the injustices faced by politicians, contrasting them with the honour given to dictators. “A politician was imprisoned for 11 years while a dictator was saluted. A defenceless girl stood against this dictator, fighting for constitutional restoration for 30 years,” he said, underscoring the sacrifices made in the struggle for democracy in Pakistan.

Bilawal criticised the judicial system for its role in the era of dictator General Ziaul Haq, stating that while democracy was restored the institutions meant to deliver justice failed the nation. He expressed disappointment that a judge permitted amendments to the constitution by an authoritarian ruler.

“We have seen another authoritarian period where the constitution was treated as a mere piece of paper,” he said and elaborated on the implications of taking an oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order. “You may take an oath under the PCO once, but if it happens a second time, it creates a constitutional issue. The first time may be acceptable, but a second time is beyond our tolerance.”

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When asked, he said: “The PPP proposal will be that there should a constitutional court in the Centre and we also want that a provincial constitutional court be setup, if consensus is achieved.”