JUI-F senators persuade Fazlur Rehman to support 27th Constitutional Amendment

ISLAMABAD: Four senators belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) are reportedly making efforts to persuade party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to support the 27th Constitutional Amendment, ARY News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

According to sources, the senators informed Maulana Fazlur Rehman that they were under significant pressure from the government to back the amendment.

The senators advised the JUI-F chief to accept the proposed constitutional changes, while maintaining the party’s stance on not reversing the 18th Amendment, similar to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) position.

Sources added that the senators recommended supporting amendments related to Article 243 (military appointments), the formation of a constitutional court, the transfer of judges, and the local government system.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, however, told the senators that he would make a final decision after reviewing the political environment, the sources said.

Earlier, A meeting of the federal cabinet, chaired by the prime minister via video link from Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday, accorded its approval to the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, according to the PM Office Media Wing.

Following the cabinet’s approval, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar briefed media representatives about the key features of the proposed constitutional amendments, on the prime minister’s instructions.

The prime minister welcomed the cabinet members and thanked the allied parties in Parliament for their cooperation and consensus on the proposed legislation.

During the meeting, the prime minister emphasized that the amendment aimed to strengthen relations between the federation and the provinces, and that it represented a collective national effort in the larger interest of the country. He lauded the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Attorney General, and their teams for their contributions.