Judiciary should not be subordinate to government: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Former Prime Minister and Pakistan People's Party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated that the judiciary should not be subservient to the government, form 47 governments typically operate under the cover of night.

Speaking to the media in his hometown of Murree, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated that constitutional amendments should at least be presented before the public.

He criticized the ongoing month-long debate on constitutional amendments, claiming that no one knows anything about it.

He emphasized that the judiciary should not be under the control of the government, stating that this is not the Prime Minister's responsibility. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also remarked that today, Maulana Fazlur Rehman is the flagbearer of democracy in the country.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi further added "decisions should not be made in the darkness of night, governments formed through Form 47 operate under the cover of night."

PTI Announces Boycott of 26th Constitutional Amendments Vote

Meanihle, The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to boycott the voting process on the 26th Constitutional Amendments in both the National Assembly and Senate.

The party accused the ruling coalition of undermining democracy by imposing what it called the "law of the jungle" through these amendments, declaring a complete boycott of the vote.

Strict security arrangements have been made for today’s session of Pakistan’s National Assembly, with guest entry strictly prohibited, according to the Assembly's spokesperson. In a move to tighten regulations, the issuance of one-day press gallery cards has been halted.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s 9-point agenda for today’s session has been released. Notably, the 26th Constitutional Amendment is absent. The agenda includes the 2024 Legal Aid and Justice Authority Amendment Bill, which will be presented for approval.

Additionally, a call attention notice addressing widespread fraud and theft in General Sales Tax collection, submitted by members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), will be discussed during the session.

Today’s National Assembly session will begin at 6 pm, while the Senate session is scheduled for 3 pm.

The constitutional amendments, were expected to be presented in parliament, after a series of high-level meetings at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence became a political hub on Saturday, with key figures such as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Balochistan National Party (Mengal) leader Akhtar Mengal all visiting for discussions.

Previously Fazlur Rehman stated that PTI had requested time to finalise its stance on the constitutional amendment. He added that after receiving their response, the bill will be presented in parliament for consensus approval.

However, earlier today PTI decided to boycott the voting process in the National Assembly and Senate concerning the 26th Constitutional Amendments.

The decision was announced in a statement following a meeting of the party's political committee.