No political motivation behind constitutional amendment bill: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence, Khawaja Asif, informed the National Assembly on Monday that a Constitutional amendment package would be tabled in the house after achieving complete consensus.

Speaking on the floor of the house, he said, “A draft has been prepared to address constitutional imbalances, especially those related to the parliament. This also aims to undo the 19th Amendment. There is no political motivation behind this action.”

“We want and desire complete consensus within the house. The process will continue, and we believe that no one will oppose the proposals. We are determined to shape the constitution in line with the agreement in the Charter of Democracy (CoD,” he added.

Asif said that, as representatives, members have the right to propose legislation that strengthens parliamentary supremacy and democracy. “Representing 250 million people, we have every right to work for the strengthening of parliament as defined in the Constitution,” he said.

He further said that representatives have the right to undo any intrusions into parliamentary powers and the Constitution.

Khawaja Asif said that the Charter of Democracy (CoD), signed in 2006 by Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, advocates for the strengthening of democracy, the supremacy of the parliament, and the discouragement of person- or party-specific legislation.

The minister said that other political parties had also joined this historic document letter.

He reiterated that the proposed constitutional package has no political motivation. He mentioned that in the proposed draft, Article 63-A, which previously stated that a vote cast would not be counted, has been reversed.

Asif added that the establishment of constitutional courts, as proposed in the draft, aligns with the CoD and is a practice followed globally.

The purpose, he said, is to ensure speedy justice. He cited an example of an individual who received justice after 25 years, having spent most of that time on death cell.

“We aim to reduce the burden on the judiciary and make life easier for plaintiffs and the common man. Currently, around 2.7 million cases are pending in courts. Steps for speedy justice and the counting of votes are not politically motivated,” he said.

Referring to the appointment of judges, he recalled that after the restoration of the judiciary movement, a process for judicial appointments was agreed upon. “We want to assert the powers of parliament and avoid having it serve as a rubber stamp in the appointment of judges,” he said.

He also said that the draft includes a proposal to merge the parliamentary committee and the Judicial Commission, enhancing the role of parliament in judicial appointments. “We are trying to reclaim the rights that belong to us,” he said.

Asif questioned whether the proposed amendments serve the interests of the government. “We seek to ensure and enforce the respect and dignity of parliament as written in the Constitution,” he added.

He said that the amendments in the proposed draft are not intended to strengthen any individual, government, or political party, but solely to fortify the parliament.