Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: Archive
ISLAMABAD:
The Foreign Ministry on Sunday rejected what it called a “baseless” statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressing concern about the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
A day earlier, Turk had warned that Pakistan’s hasty constitutional amendments “seriously undermine judicial independence and raise serious concerns about accountability and respect for the rule of law.”
A press release issued by the FO on Sunday said Pakistan rejected the “baseless” statement.
“Pakistan notes with deep concern the unfounded and misplaced apprehensions expressed on behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment adopted by the two-thirds majority of the Parliament of Pakistan,” the FO statement said.
“Like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation, as well as any amendments to the Constitution, remain the exclusive domain of the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan,” he added.
The FO noted that democracy and democratic methods “constitute the basis of civil and political rights and must therefore be respected.”
“The constitutional amendments adopted by Pakistan’s parliament followed due procedures enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan,” the FO statement said,
He added that Pakistan remained “fully committed to the protection, promotion and defense of human rights, human dignity, basic freedoms and the rule of law” enshrined in the Constitution.
