ISLAMABAD: As rumors circulated regarding the 27th amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced on Monday that the government was not considering any legislation of that kind.
Notwithstanding Mr. Tarar’s comments, Prime Minister’s Legal Advisor Barrister Aqeel Malik made a suggestion that the government would be entitled to both propose and approve “an amendment” in parliament. It was unclear, though, if he was speaking of a bill that would modify the constitution or a regular piece of legislation.
The remarks were made in response to reports that a bill amending the SC Practice & Procedure Act would shortly be presented to the legislature.
However, opposition parties and the ruling coalition’s ally, the PPP, pledged to thwart any amendment and warned to take to the streets to protest any such action.
After attending a meeting of the Parliamentarians for Global Action, Mr. Tarar told reporters in the hallways of Parliament House that there was no possibility of presenting such a constitutional amendment on the 27th.
He added that the administration would completely implement the recently passed 26th amendment and asked the media to refrain from speculating about the new amendment. As you may remember, the 26th Amendment altered the process for selecting Pakistan’s chief justice and Supreme Court judges.
Barrister Aqeel separately suggested that the administration might propose the 27th constitutional amendment, but only with agreement, in an interview with Geo News.
He claimed that the introduction of a measure pertaining to the establishment of military courts was misunderstood. “It is just a discussion about provinces’ rights, so there is nothing like that,” he continued.
The ruling alliance is in possession of the snake charmer’s flute, Been. He implied that when the administration decides to pass it, it will receive the necessary number of votes in the Senate and National Assembly. “When they will play it, snakes will come out automatically,” he stated.
However, he stated that without consensus, no modification would be proposed. He went on to say, “The government has no intention of having solo flight in this regard.”
At a recent public meeting, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was instrumental in the 26th amendment’s passage, declared that his party would not permit the government to enact those contentious provisions as a new amendment that had been opposed in the original draft of the 26th amendment.
Will we permit the enactment of the items that we left out of the 26th Amendment? He questioned the attendees of a public gathering, “Will we get them (the rejected clauses) passed?”
In the National Assembly earlier in the day, PPP members expressed their displeasure about the lack of ministers and claimed it was now hard for them to visit the capital.
According to PPP leader Nabeel Gabol, a significant bill will be introduced on Friday. He asked Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to suspend the house till then, since they will have nothing to do in the dull house until then.
The Practice and Procedure Act Amendment Bill pertaining to the superior judiciary is anticipated to be tabled on Friday, Dawn was informed by a PPP source.
However, according to the source, the PPP and two other stakeholders opposed the law.
On the house floor, PTI leader Asad Qaiser declared that his party would obstruct the 27th Amendment. He threatened to “bring the entire country to the streets against the 27th constitutional amendment,” adding that the administration had reportedly considered the proposed amendment during a meeting on Sunday.
