Independent senator Faisal Vawda has claimed that more amendments were in the offing after the 26th Constitutional Amendment that brought judicial reforms in the country, including Pakistan’s chief justice appointment process.
“I had said earlier that there will be amendments and developments,” he said while appearing on Rubaroo which was aired on Aaj News on Thursday. “I will keep the nation informed about all the drama and Imran Khan.”
In response to a question about any more tweaks in the law, Vawda said that he would speak when the time was appropriate. When the host pressed, he said: “Not just the 27th constitutional amendment.”
The government narrowly passed constitutional amendments on Monday giving lawmakers more power to appoint top judges, who have issued a series of recent decisions favouring opposition chief Imran Khan.
Since the February elections marred by rigging allegations, relations have soured between Islamabad and the top courts as rulings litigating results have backed the party of jailed ex-prime minister Khan.
The 72-year-old former cricket star had been barred from running and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party previously claimed the courts were used to sideline their hugely popular campaign.
President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Supreme Court judge Justice Yahya Afridi as the next chief justice of Pakistan following the Special Parliamentary Committee’s decision.
Justice Afridi will serve a fixed three-year term starting on October 26, according to PTV News.
At one point, he claimed that the ban on meetings with Khan in Adiala Jail was imposed at the request of PTI leaders as they had failed to protest in the way the PTI founder requested.
He was of the view that the US lawmakers’ letter seeking the PTI founder’s release has further increased divisions between Khan and the establishment. Vawda claimed that Faiz would also speak against Khan.
“I will play my role for Khan’s sister’s release as they are sincere with Khan. I want someone to tell Khan what I was telling him…”
The independent senator clarified that he has not used the word “deal” while speaking about Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi’s release. “If it was not a deal, then why Bani Gala was being painted and decorated for the past one week,” he said and claimed that Bibi’s decision to travel to Peshawar was taken in fear of alleged bugging by a spy agency.
“Khan is not going to be released as he is further going to the fire of hell,” he said and added that more people would meet Khan on October 26.
According to Vawda, former spymaster Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed would be court-martialed and punished.
He refrained from speaking about a misunderstanding with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
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The independent senator claimed that Justice Yahya Afridi was picked from the three senior most judges as the CJP apparently because of “some vagueness” in the past decisions of two judges. He claimed that JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza did not vote in the Special Parliamentary Committee meeting.
When asked, he said that if needed an amendment related to the military would be brought in the Constitution.
“Until politician has a character… There is one side that is too democratic and another is established democracy. I am an established democrat,” he said, “I am clear from which nursery we come, we abuse them and beg them. You cannot run this country for an hour without an army.”
The independent senator claimed that he was making an effort to save Khan so that the latter was not punished for the crimes not committed.
“Actors get praise and money. We politicians are those character actors who should get Oscars as we don’t get money and receive curses.”
