Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar at a press conference in Islamabad on March 28, 2024. PHOTO: PID
LAHORE:
Law and Justice Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Saturday said the authority to amend the Constitution lies solely with Parliament, adding that only time will determine whether the 26th Constitutional Amendment turns out to be a correct decision.
The Law Minister made these remarks at the start of the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore, which brought together jurists, human rights defenders and political figures who addressed issues related to fundamental rights, democracy, judicial independence and international law.
Addressing the conference, the Law Minister said that the 26th Constitutional Amendment was initiated to meet the need to establish a constitutional court.
He noted that on certain occasions in the past, the Supreme Court had exceeded its jurisdiction and that some death penalty sentences were subsequently found during review to be incorrect.
Senator Tarar said extensive consultations were held with various stakeholders on the amendment and questions were addressed after relying on allies.
He explained that the amendment introduced the concept of constitutional courts, recalling that objections had also been raised when the 19th Constitutional Amendment was introduced.
Talking about the transfer of judges, the law minister said the process would involve consultations with the president, prime minister and chief justice of Pakistan and decisions would be taken keeping in mind the performance of the judges.
He emphasized that if capable judges are available in Punjab and Islamabad, the people of interior Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also deserve equal access to a competent judiciary.
He said the constitutional court had already started functioning and its results would become evident over time.
Highlighting the importance of the rule of law, the Justice Minister warned that crossing red lines would have consequences.
On the issue of missing persons, Tarar said it is not limited to Pakistan but is a serious global problem. He added that he himself was part of the missing persons judicial commission and was personally working on the matter.
According to the Minister of Justice, the government takes the issue seriously and the judicial commission carries out its functions responsibly.
He also called it a “bitter truth” that Pakistan has been waging a war against terrorism for decades.
He said terrorism was inherited as a “gift” from the West and described it as someone else’s war imposed on Pakistan.
