SC told assembly has powers to amend constitution

The Supreme Court has been told that the present assembly has the power to make amendments in the constitution.

Giving arguments during a hearing of petitions challenging the 18th amendment, the federation's lawyer Waseem Sajjad tried to protect the proposed changes in the constitution.

Sajjad rejected Hafeez Pirzada's argument that only a constituent assembly can amend the constitution. He argued that the assembly of 1956 was the only constituent assembly, while the remaining were legislative assemblies. He said Quaid-e-Azam had declared in his speech in 1947 that the assembly was a sovereign one.

At this, the Chief Justice of Pakistan said Quaid-e-Azam's speech should be followed completely, not partially.