ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, a high-level PPP team lead by Senator Sherry Rehman met with Senators Hidayatullah of the Awami National Party (ANP) and Chaudhry Salik Hussain of the PML-Q in an attempt to strengthen support for a proposed constitutional package.
Senator Shahadat Awan and senior PPP politician Nayyar Hussain Bokhari accompanied Ms. Rehman to these important sessions.
“Under the direction of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the consultation represents an important milestone in the PPP’s endeavors to create a Federal Constitutional Court with provincial representation, guaranteeing the preservation of justice and equity in the legal system,” Ms. Rehman stated.
After the sessions, Ms. Rehman told reporters that previous prime minister Benazir Bhutto had already thought of the idea of a constitutional court. Ms. Rehman emphasized that the concept was included in the Charter of Democracy, which was signed in May 2006 by Ms. Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
“The parliament has to claim its proper place as the body that drafted the Constitution. The Federal Constitutional Court would be established in accordance with the 2006 Charter of Democracy, she stated. She also mentioned that the backlog of court cases has resulted in unjust delays in the administration of justice and that action must be taken to rectify this.
Meets the leader of JUI-F and commends him for his work toward “parliamentary supremacy”
There are currently more than 50 operational constitutional courts worldwide. With 60,000 cases outstanding in the Supreme Court and more than 2.2 million cases nationwide, the backlog of cases is concerning, the speaker stated. “Resolving public cases by diverting constitutional and political cases to this court would free up the higher judiciary’s valuable time.”
Because the proposed court would have provincial representation, Ms. Rehman said it would also help allay worries about the judiciary getting involved in political issues.
She emphasized that talks were being held to develop a consensus on the court’s establishment. “We are making every effort to guarantee that this modification to the constitution is not person-specific. We are expanding the circle of partnership by consulting with civil society and the legal profession in addition to political parties. We seek the agreement of all parties involved in these changes,” she continued.
Declaring, “There should be no impression that any bill will be passed in secrecy or through underhanded means,” she reassured that the PPP was dedicated to transparency. On this issue, the PPP is still willing to discuss with all parties involved.
Naqvi and Fazl meet.
In a related development, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leaders of the JUI-F, were congratulated by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi upon their unchallenged reelection as the party’s secretary general and chief, respectively, at their home.
The much-discussed package of constitutional amendments was apparently a major topic of discussion throughout the meeting. Mr. Naqvi referred to Maulana Fazl as a “prudent, skilled and visionary politician” and commended him for his work in advancing democratic values and parliamentary supremacy.
He praised the principled politics of the JUI and emphasized the great contributions Maulana Fazl has made to his party and the nation. He said the Maulana was one of the most senior and well-respected politicians in the nation.
Although many political parties were willing to support the Federal Constitutional Court’s establishment, an informed source revealed that talks about the appointment and qualifications of judges might postpone the introduction of a government bill and continue after Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa retires on October 25.
JUI-F is now working on a draft of its own constitutional revisions, which it intends to present to the government at a later date.
