Lawyers demand govt public proposed constitutional amendment bill
1. Legislation, constitutional amendments should not conflict with basic structure of the constitution, says resolution
ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Lawyers Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution demanding the government make the proposed constitutional amendments public through advertisements.
The resolution followed a meeting with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, where he provided detailed responses to the questions raised by the lawyers’ body. The meeting, held at the Supreme Court Bar Complex in Islamabad, saw the attendance of numerous legal practitioners from across the country.
While acknowledging parliament's authority to legislate and amend the constitution, the resolution emphasized that any changes must not conflict with the constitution's basic structure. It also stressed that the constitutional package would be ineffective without consulting the legal community.
The proposed amendments — which reportedly include an extension in the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and an increase in judges’ retirement age — have posed a challenge for the coalition government, which lacks the two-thirds majority needed to pass the changes in parliament.
Additionally, the lawyers called for the Supreme Court Bar Association's constitutional petition on Article 63-A to be scheduled for hearing. They also urged those involved to avoid endangering democracy and the constitution through destabilizing actions.
The legal community asked the government to finalize the 26th constitutional amendment only after consulting with lawyers' unions.
Meanwhile, a tug-of-war has unfolded in parliament, with both the treasury and opposition benches debating the government's proposed amendment bill. Despite efforts, the ruling coalition has struggled to secure the required two-thirds majority. Much of the government’s focus has been on gaining the support of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose backing is crucial for the bill's passage.
Following unsuccessful attempts to persuade the JUI-F chief, the government has decided to indefinitely delay the introduction of the constitutional package. The opposition, including PTI and JUI-F, has criticized the government for keeping the details of the proposed amendments secret, calling for the original draft to be presented in parliament for debate before approval.
