Our demands in line with CoD, says Bilawal

KARACHI:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reiterated on Monday that the proposed constitutional amendments were in line with the Chartered of Democracy (CoD), which was signed by late Benazir Bhutto with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif in 2006.

Speaking at the launching of the Benazir Hari [peasant] Card at the Chief Minister House in Karachi, Bilawal again called for the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) with equal representation of the provinces to improve the justice delivery system in the country.

He stressed that the constitutional amendments proposed by his party were based on the CoD and the vision of late Benazir Bhutto, and that he would never back down from them. He warned that the PPP was not ready to make any compromises on its demand for constitutional amendments.

"To those who want me to back down, I will say, you back off! If a person sitting in jail is in no mood [for the constitutional amendments] doesn't mean that we forget the promise of our leader [late Banazir Butto]," the PPP chairman warned.

Speaking about the constitutional amendment package, Bilawal said that the PPP had only two demands: creation of the FCC and reforms in the process for the appointment of the judges. "All this is stipulated in the Charter of Democracy," he stressed.

He criticised some past judicial decisions, such as hanging of late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, validating martial laws and even allowing military dictators to amend the Constitution, while all that at the expense of ignoring the rights of the poor masses.

"I want to ask the people of Sindh, are you satisfied with the justice system of Pakistan? Do you think this system is good and it should continue as it is," he asked. "If you think that this justice system is broken, the solution to these weaknesses is available in Charter of Democracy," he added.

"If justice is to be ensured, equal representation of the provinces must be ensured. Setting up a specific court alongside the general court is also a way to improve the system. When the judges from all the provinces will sit on the basis of equality, our constitutional problems will be resolved," he said.

Elaborating further on the necessity of the FCC, he said that not only the fundamental rights of the people would be protected, but even disputes between the federation and a province or among the provinces could also be resolved.

On a personal note, Bilawal said no politician knew the judicial system as much as he did. People's leaders were martyred. The court, whose responsibility was to protect the people's rights, allowed military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq to amend the constitution and no one was bothered.

The past judiciary, particularly under former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry served the elite, while depriving the common man of justice. "We cannot forget how our women were jailed in Sukkur and their cases were moved to Islamabad," he said.

The PPP chairman underscored the importance of building consensus on the amendments through consultation with other political parties and preparing a draft by which "we can pass from parliament in a democratic way".

He said that he would once again meet with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in this regard on Tuesday (today) and "together we will improve the country's justice system through the 26th constitutional amendment bill".

To the detractors, Bilawal sent a blunt message, "Do you think that we will be silent every time and never say anything?" He read a Sindhi couplet, which means that 'we demand equality as much as justice'. "Our party represents the backward classes of the country," he said.

"We speak of reconciliation, but we have not forgotten the injustices we suffered. The time for accountability will come," he warned. He invited the public to a party rally in Hyderabad on October 18 to join the PPP's demand for judicial reforms.

On the occasion, Bilawal highlighted the success of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and launched the 'Benazir Hari Card' as part of the party's continued focus on supporting small farmers. "The PPP has always stood by the underprivileged, and this initiative reaffirms our commitment," he noted.

Recalling his father, President Asif Zardari's past agricultural policies, Bilawal praised the decision to purchase crops from local farmers – a practice initiated by his late mother. "We must prioritise our farmers over imports," he insisted.