Pervaiz Rashid. PHOTO: ARCHIVE
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate on Sunday witnessed heated debates over the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, with the Treasury Courts 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 shake the foundations of the Constitution and undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Participating in the debate, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, leader of the PML-N, said that the fight for judicial independence in Pakistan had always been led by political workers and democratic forces and not by the judiciary itself.
He appreciated the amendment bill and said judicial independence should not translate into an unaccountable authority. Senator Talha Mahmood of the PPP termed the amendment as a timely reform to strengthen the state structure amid 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 instead of boycotting legislative work.
Responding to issues raised by some lawmakers, Senate Leader Ishaq Dar clarified the historical background of the reforms.
He said the concept of a Federal Constitutional Court was first conceived between 2002 and 2006 during consultations between former PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and was later formalized in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed in London on May 13, 2006.
He said the idea was supported by all top political leaders, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asfandyar Wali Khan and Imran Khan, during subsequent follow-up meetings. “This is a shared national vision: 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 outlined “five points” which he said formed the basic spirit of the 1973 Constitution and which were now being “pierced” in the proposed 27th Amendment.
The first, he said, was that Pakistan was a federation with autonomous provinces. Secondly, the elected parliament had authority but was subject to the Constitution.
Zafar said the third point was the fundamental rights provided therein, with courts formed 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 ensure democracy, while the fifth is civil supremacy.
“If this balance of five pillars is disturbed even slightly through any amendment, the entire Constitution will be shaken and may cause great chaos,” Zafar warned.
On Sunday, the Senate also unanimously passed a resolution to recognize the immense and lasting legacy of poet, philosopher and great thinker Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, on his 148th birth anniversary.
