PML-N senator says proposed judicial package not aimed at any individual

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui stressed on Wednesday that the federal government’s proposed constitutional amendments are not aimed at any specific individual. 

Speaking to media persons after meeting Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Senator Siddiqui said: “Any constitutional amendment has nothing to do with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa or Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.” 

The government pushed the constitutional package amid speculation about a potential extension in the tenure of CJP Isa, who is set to retire this month, following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request last month for the early issuance of a notification regarding the appointment of the next top judge.

The PML-N, despite having the support of its allies such as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and others, had postponed introducing the constitutional amendments in the parliament while claiming to have secured the “magic number” earlier.

However, deferment came after JUI-F refused to lend its support to the ruling coalition, short of 13 votes in the National Assembly and nine in the Senate as the said legislation requires a two-thirds majority in both houses.

Speaking on the said matter, Senator Siddiqui said that the issue surrounding the constitutional amendments will be clarified in the next two weeks.

The PML-N leader further said that the JUI-F chief backed the formation of constitutional court, however, he said Fazl did not want anything in the proposed judiciary centric constitutional package that is against the Constitution.

“Things will improve in the next two weeks,” Siddiqui said, stressing that Fazl does not have reservations over the amendments and he only has reservations on a few minor matters which are being looked into by his team.

He said that the constitutional amendments will be passed if the ruling coalition secured two-thirds majority in parliament. “There is no pressure regarding the amendments as this is an 18-year-old agenda,” he added.

Following the “non-political” meeting with Fazl, Senator Siddiqui admitted that the government cannot pass the constitutional amendments without the JUI-F chief’s approval.

“We want Maulana Fazlur Rehman to support us and if he satisfies the PTI then we will have no objection,” said the senior PML-N leader.

A day earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that so far, his party had agreed to the government’s proposal for the formation of a federal constitutional court.

Bilawal said his struggle for the constitutional amendment was not for the current chief justice, Qazi Faez Isa. “Your agenda could be a person-specific, not mine,” he added.