Political friction likely as Pakistani parties agree on judicial reforms amid opposition’s protest call

ISLAMABAD: Political temperature in Pakistan is expected to rise significantly after three major parties announced a consensus on judicial reforms through a constitutional amendment early Thursday, while former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said it would oppose them with nationwide protests.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration has been trying to pass a set of constitutional amendments since last month that the country’s opposition and prominent lawyers say is aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments.
The proposed amendments are expected to establish a federal constitutional court, raise the retirement age of superior judges by three years and modify the process for the appointment of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The opposition PTI believes the amendments are meant to grant an extension to Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is widely believed to be aligned with the government and opposed to its chief rival, ex-premier Khan, though the ruling administration has denied the allegation.
“As far as judicial reforms are concerned, we have reached a consensus, and there are other points where we are also close to reaching an agreement,” Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam (JUI-F) party, said during a brief media interaction in Lahore.
Rehman had previously opposed the constitutional amendments proposed by the government, thwarting the ruling administration’s plan to table the bill in parliament due to inadequate numbers.
Sharif’s government needs a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament to push the legislation through.
With the country witnessing a stalemate over the issue, the government’s key ally, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), jumped into action, with its top leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari spearheading negotiations with Rehman to build a consensus.
The JUI-F and PPP leaders met the prime minister and other stalwarts of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday night to discuss the issue.
“Today’s meeting was very encouraging,” Rehman told journalists after holding the talks. “We believe that a system should be implemented in the country, and such reforms and amendments should be introduced in the constitution that bring reforms in every sector.”
He maintained that any past interference by state institutions in politics or actions taken by them outside their jurisdiction should be restricted through the proposed amendments.
“They [the institutions] should be confined to their duties, and parliament should be made supreme, with its supremacy strengthened and solidified, along with reinforcing the rule of law and the constitution,” he added.
Bhutto-Zardari also told the media that the intention behind the judicial reforms was “to ensure the supremacy of parliament and the constitution, and to provide prompt justice to the people.”
Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate are scheduled to meet later in the day to discuss the proposed amendments.
The PTI’s political committee has already reiterated its opposition to the amendments while calling for nationwide protests on Friday.
Rehman told the media he would also meet Khan’s party and try to get the buy-in of its leadership over the issue.