Pervaiz Rashid. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate on Sunday witnessed heated debates over the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, with the Treasury benches hailing it as a historic step towards strengthening the constitutional framework, improving judicial transparency and ensuring inclusive representation.
However, opposition members rejected the proposed amendment, arguing that it would undermine the foundations of the Constitution and undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Taking part in the debate, senior PML-N leader Senator Pervaiz Rashid said the struggle for judicial independence in Pakistan had always been led by political workers and democratic forces rather than the judiciary itself.
He appreciated the amendment bill, saying judicial independence should not translate into unaccountable authority. Senator Talha Mahmood of the PPP called the amendment a timely reform to strengthen the state structure in the face of internal and external challenges.
Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan of the PML-N criticized opposition parties for politicizing the debate, urging them to participate in committees rather than boycott legislative work.
Responding to points raised by some lawmakers, Senate House Leader Ishaq Dar clarified the historical context of the reforms.
He said the concept of a Federal Constitutional Court was first conceived between 2002 and 2006 during consultations between former PPP president Benazir Bhutto and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, later formalized in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed in London on May 13, 2006.
He said the idea was endorsed by all top political leaders, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asfandyar Wali Khan and Imran Khan, in subsequent follow-up meetings. “This is a shared national vision, a common property of all political forces,” he said.
Other members Syed Ali Zafar, Faisal Javed, Mohsin Aziz and Noorul Haq Qadri also spoke on the occasion and opposed the constitutional amendment. Addressing the House, PTI Senator Ali Zafar highlighted “five points” which he said constituted the basic spirit of the 1973 Constitution and which were now “pierced” in the proposed 27th Amendment.
The first, he said, is that Pakistan is a federation made up of autonomous provinces. Second, the elected parliament had authority but was bound by the Constitution.
Zafar said the third point was about the fundamental rights guaranteed there, with courts trained to protect and implement them.
The fourth pillar of the Constitution, he added, is an independent judiciary to protect the rights of the people and guarantee democracy, while the fifth is civil supremacy.
“If you modify, even slightly, this balance of the five pillars by any amendment, the entire Constitution will be shaken and could lead to major chaos,” Zafar warned.
The Senate also unanimously passed a resolution on Sunday recognizing the immense and enduring legacy of poet-philosopher and great thinker Allama Muhammad Iqbal, on the occasion of his 148th birth anniversary.
