PBC lashes out at govt over 'secret' constitutional amendments

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council has expressed concerns over the government’s move to introduce constitutional amendments, ARY News reported.

In a statement, six members of the Pakistan Bar Council, including Mehmood Chohan, Abid Shahid Zuberi, Ishtiaq A. Khan, Shahab Sarki, Tahir Faraz, and Munir Kakar, condemned the government’s actions, stating that the proposed amendments aim to undermine judicial independence.

The members emphasized that the amendments are a threat to the rule of law and the constitution, and aim to establish a parallel judicial system, which is unacceptable.

They urged the legal community, including judges and lawyers, to unite against this move.

Earlier, Pakistan’s renowned legal expert Abid Zuberi while raising concerns on the proposed constitutional amendments, said it will end the independence of the judiciary.

Abid Zuberi explained that the amendments propose the creation of two courts, which means there will be two chief justices in Pakistan.

Its worth mentioning here that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) advised the federal government to temporarily delay the clauses related to the judiciary in constitutional amendments.

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A separate meeting between government and opposition delegations with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari was held after which the JUI-F leader stressed that his party had not yet received the draft of the proposed amendments in the constitution.

Haidari emphasized that the government team had been urged to exercise patience and avoid hastily presenting the bill to Parliament.