Opposition to judicial reforms based on personal likes, dislikes: Bilawal

**KARACHI:** Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stated that the opposition to judicial reforms, including the establishment of federal constitutional courts, stems from personal preferences rather than principled stances.

His comments followed the government's failure to secure enough support to pass the constitutional amendment bill last month, with both allies and opposition members strongly opposing the proposal, prompting the administration to initiate a consultation process.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and a crucial player in the bill's passage, expressed on October 11 a conditional willingness to support the government’s "constitutional package," emphasizing the need for consensus among all political forces.

Conversely, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has also voiced objections to the constitutional package, which includes the proposed constitutional court.

In a message on X, Bilawal noted that many current opponents of the reforms had previously supported them. He tweeted, "While many of today’s opponents have supported this reform in the past, their opposition now is rooted in personal likes and dislikes or partisan politics of the moment."

Bilawal emphasized that the establishment of a federal constitutional court has been part of his party's manifesto since the 2007 elections, following the Charter of Democracy established in 2006. He included relevant excerpts from the Charter and his party’s manifestos from 2013 and 2024 in his message.

"The PPP has campaigned in every election since 2007 with the promise of implementing judicial reforms, including the establishment of federal constitutional courts," he asserted, adding that the party's position has been consistent for nearly two decades. "Our representatives, elected under my leadership, have been given a mandate by the people of Pakistan to establish a Federal Constitutional Court with equal representation for all."

In a statement the previous day, Bilawal suggested that creating a constitutional court alongside regular courts could help resolve constitutional disputes and safeguard fundamental rights. He proposed that there should be a platform to address conflicts between the federation and provinces.

Bilawal reaffirmed the party’s dual demands: the establishment of a constitutional court and reforms to the judicial appointment process, both outlined in the Charter of Democracy.

Moreover, PPP sources indicated that Bilawal and Fazl would address several critical matters, including the constitutional amendments, in a meeting scheduled for this evening. Bilawal previously announced plans to meet the JUI-F chief regarding judicial reforms on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, JUI-F urged the government to achieve consensus on the amendments by involving the PTI. JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza, speaking on Geo News' program "Capital Talk," stated that the Constitution cannot be deemed consensus-oriented without the PTI's participation.

On October 12, the JUI-F suggested that instead of creating a separate court for constitutional matters, the government should establish a constitutional bench. This proposal emerged during a meeting of a special parliamentary committee tasked with discussing the contentious constitutional amendment. Notably, Bilawal was not present at this meeting, although JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser participated via video link.

Hoping to achieve a consensus with the PPP on a joint draft, JUI-F Senator Murtaza mentioned that the only significant difference between the two parties' drafts was the establishment of a constitutional court versus a constitutional bench, adding that his party had no objections to the rest of the PPP’s draft.