JUI-F denies breakthrough on constitutional amendments with Centre

ISLAMABAD: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has denied reaching a breakthrough on constitutional amendments with the federal government, ARY News reported.

As per detail, the JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said that its the incumbent government’s headache to pass the constitutional amendments before October 25, not JUI-F’s.

The spokesperson revealed that 90% of the proposed amendments draft is ready and will be shared with PTI and PPP. However, he clarified that they don’t want a constitutional court that is above the Supreme Court. He emphasized that their principal stance is that constitutional amendments should be acceptable to all.

He proposed that if there is no agreement on a constitutional court, a separate bench should be established in the Supreme Court, comprising 4-5 judges, under the Chief Justice. He stressed that constitutional amendments are for the 250 million people of Pakistan, not for an individual or government.

The JUI-F leader also mentioned that the draft provided to them by the People’s Party was different, which caused concerns for Bilawal.

Earlier, report circulated that the government achieved breakthrough in talks with JUI’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman over the proposed 26th constitutional amendment.

Sources said that the government reached to an agreement with the JUI Leader over establishment of a constitutional court.

“The constitutional amendment will be tabled in the parliament after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) session scheduled on October 15 and 16 in Islamabad,” sources said.

Also read: ‘Pakistan will have two chief justices after establishment of constitutional court’

Proposed amendment in the constitution was thoroughly discussed in a meeting in the Presidency attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, sources said.

Sources said that the government at the end agreed over the suggestions of Fazlur Rehman on the proposed constitutional amendment.