Constitutional amendments should be based on consensus, not personal interests: Fazl

‘An extension should be granted on basis of need, not interests. We support establishment of constitutional court’

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has expressed his desire for constitutional amendments to be passed through consensus, emphasising that extensions should be granted based on necessity, not personal interests.

In a statement issued by JUI-F's media cell following a meeting with senior journalists on Wednesday, Fazlur Rehman said, "We hope that constitutional amendments are passed with mutual agreement."

He added, "An extension should be granted on the basis of need, not interests. We support the establishment of a constitutional court."

The JUI-F leader also remarked that the previous struggle in support of former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had unfortunate outcomes. "We all supported Iftikhar Chaudhry, but we all saw the consequences of that decision," he said.

Rehman further expressed concerns about two provinces being under the control of armed groups. "One province has nationalists removed through rigging, and the other province saw religious parties pushed out. The state’s writ in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has disappeared," he claimed.

Addressing the double standards in dealing with internal matters, he pointed out, "When nationalists talk about separation, it is considered a domestic issue, but when it comes to religion, it is made an international problem. Why this double standard?"

Rehman concluded by stressing the need for reforms that serve the national interest, saying, "The current deadlock and struggle are for personal interests. We want amendments to be made beyond individual gains, for the larger national interest. The involvement of institutions in elections cannot be seen as a symbol of national unity."