Former prime minister Imran Khan has sought a “broader consensus” on the constitutional amendment while describing the legislation as a “serious matter.”
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan shared the party founder’s reaction to the legislation related to judicial reforms at a press conference at the KP House in Islamabad on Saturday.
The PTI leadership met with the former prime minister at the Adiala Jail earlier in the day to seek his approval on the constitutional draft approved by the special parliamentary committee on Friday.
Described as the 26th constitutional amendment, the legislation aims to change the process of appointments of the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
A special parliamentary committee made a major breakthrough in the draft of the legislation as panel head Khursheed Shah announced that the committee has “unanimously” approved the draft.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan also spoke on the same wavelength. But Gohar, Fazl and BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal demanded that their lawmakers should not be coerced to vote for the legislation.
Bilawal has also expressed concerns about such reports and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resolve such issues.
According to Gohar, their consultation on the constitutional amendment with the party founder could not be completed due to time limits.
He quoted the former prime minister as saying: “It is a serious matter and we should continue more engagement with Maulana Fazl.”
The former prime minister has named four party leaders to have a broader consensus on the legislation to form an opinion and give further direction. They are Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Opposition Leader in Senate Shibli Faraz, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Ahmed Bachar, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandpur.
“We will hopefully try to again meet with Khan on Monday. Our leadership will also meet Khan so that we can conclude this.”
The proposed constitutional draft includes the addition of Article 9A (clean and healthy environment) and amendments to Articles 38 (promotion of social and economic well-being of the people), 48 (president to act on advice, etc), and 81 (expenditure charged upon Federal Consolidated Fund) of the Constitution.
According to the proposed amendment, no court will be able to question the recommendations sent to the president or the prime minister by the cabinet. The draft also includes a proposal to increase the number of members in the Judicial Commission of Pakistan by amending Article 175A (appointment of Judges to the Supreme Court, High Courts and the Federal Shariat Court).
