Fazlur Rehman signals conditional support for constitutional amendments

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday expressed conditional support for the government's proposed constitutional amendments, emphasising the need for consensus among political forces.

Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Rehman stated that his party could back the government’s "constitutional package" if their proposals were included in the final draft. “We can agree on a very suitable draft if our proposals are accepted,” he said.

The constitutional package aims to establish a federal constitutional court and set a three-year tenure for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

The government initially attempted to present the amendments last month, but faced resistance from both allies and opposition members, prompting a consultation process.

Following a Special Committee of Parliament meeting, Rehman said: “We are trying to remove the controversial contents from the draft.” He added that the public had rejected the government’s initial draft.

Rehman stressed that the parliament should reflect the people's will, stating, “If parliament is representative of the people, then it should not ignore their wishes.”

The JUI-F chief expressed hope that his party, along with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), would reach a consensus and that the government should also take its allies into confidence.

Calling the current government draft “unacceptable,” Rehman said JUI-F would be in a position to support the amendments if their suggestions were incorporated.

He indicated that, after reaching an agreement with the PPP, JUI-F would share the revised draft with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while PPP would communicate it to the government.

Rehman also advocated for restoring the 18th Amendment and scrapping the 19th Amendment to enhance the parliament's role in judicial appointments.

“If we had to vote [in favour of the amendments], we would have voted,” Rehman said, explaining that his party could not support the current draft in its present form.

Regarding the timeline for passing the constitutional package, Rehman said: “We took nine months for the 18th Amendment. At least nine days would be required to decide the matter.”

Rehman also opposed the politicisation of superior court judges and said that a constitutional court and bench could serve as substitutes for each other.

Addressing the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on 15-16 October, Rehman welcomed the participants and urged a peaceful environment for the summit. 

“We are making efforts to ensure the meeting is held in a peaceful environment,” he said, adding that protests during the event would be “inappropriate.”