The constitutional amendment aims to avoid confrontation between Parliament and the judiciary in the future, anchorperson Hamid Mir said on Friday.
“I think that [senior puisne judge] Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will become chief justice of Pakistan and this amendment is not person specific,” he said while appearing on Aaj News programme Rubaroo via video link.
“It is also not against Justice Mansoor. This is made to avoid any confrontation between Parliament and the judiciary in future.”
He was asked about the perception that some of the judges were allegedly inclined towards Imran Khan’s PTI and that the ruling coalition’s intended legislation would stop the senior Supreme Court judges from becoming the CJP.
Earlier in the day, the special parliamentary committee unanimously accepted the constitutional package. Formed last month, the special parliamentary committee includes representatives from all political parties, including the PTI. Various proposals have been reviewed, and the PPP publicly released its draft on October 11, subsequently reaching an agreement with the JUI-F.
Described as the 26th constitutional amendment, the legislation aims to change the process of appointments of the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
According to Mir, some judges have interfered in Pakistan’s politics. “The important thing is that the parliamentary commission for judges appointment should be powerful. This time commission will be powerful and the judges will be under scrutiny before their appointment and this happens in many countries.”
Mir, who hosts Capital Talk on Geo News, was of the view that it would not be wrong to say that the government said “yes” to the constitutional amendment draft of the JUI-F as the two parties agreed to have a constitutional bench instead of a constitutional court.
“In a late-night press conference on Friday, Fazl also said that there was one man behind this. He did not take the name but everyone knows his hint was at Justice Qazi Faez Isa. If PPP, PML-N has agreed to Fazl’s draft, it means there will not be a constitutional court Qazi Faez Isa has no way except having retirement.”
According to Mir, the JUI-F’s draft was formed after input from the PTI, other opposition parties, civil society, journalists, the Pakistan Bar Council, and the Supreme Court Bar Association. “The PBC, the SBCA, and the Islamabad High Court Bar Association are supporting the JUI-F draft.”
The anchorperson added that the PPP chief has been “very flexible” about changes to the draft. “Bilawal also wishes to speak for those groups who are not part of parliamentary politics. He also wants them on board. The PML-N has not agreed to it, but even not reject it.”
He added: “Bilawal says if PTI is on board then he asks what’s wrong in talking to the [banned] PTM. It is his suggestion which has not been rejected.”
Mir was of the view that the legislation would not harm Imran Khan or PTI as the party has made 70% changes to the original draft through Fazl.
He went on to add that the PTI was “killing two birds with one stone” by ensuring their changes to the constitutional amendment and having a meeting with Khan after a long time.
Mir stated that the JUI-F and the PTI were still concerned about the alleged coercive measures against the party lawmakers as the two parties mentioned in a press conference on Thursday.
When asked if there would be more changes in the draft when the House meets, he claimed that it was the same question raised by the JUI-F chief to the PPP and the PML-N in separate meetings. But the two big parties have assured Fazl of not bringing any such changes, Mir said.
Mir shared that one of the PTI MNAs telephoned him from Peshawar through different international numbers to tell him the “situation was not good” for Imran Khan’s party.
The anchorperson did not share the lawmaker’s name and just mentioned that the man belongs to Punjab. The MNA claimed that he had been pressurised to vote for the legislation and added that he was not aware of the consensus reached on the constitutional amendment draft.
While quoting the lawmaker, Mir said: “If PTI and Imran Khan are out of the political spectrum, then KP’s future is PTM [Pashtun Tahafuz Movement]. I think our situation is bad and the PTM has the same popularity as PTI.”
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According to Mir, Bilawal and Fazl have decided to review the performance of the constitutional bench for three to four years. If the bench does not perform well, then the government would form a constitutional court and Fazl would support the PPP, the anchorperson said.
In response to a question, he said that Fazl’s role was different from former politician Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, saying that the leaders were meeting with the religio-political leader for the sake vote and Khan used to unite politicians against dictators and undemocratic force.
Mir also spoke about his news coverage in Lebanon where Israeli strikes against Hezbollah have killed several people.
“90 per cent of whatever is happening in South Lebanon and South Beirut is not being reported. Firstly, Israel has systematically banned media entry in South Lebanon and targeted reporters. Israel has martyred four to five reporters,” he said.
The journalist added that drones used to Israeli drones used to fly over them when they got out of the camp with a cameraman. “Israel does this to make people afraid.”
