ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (APP): The Parliamentary Leaders of various political parties in the Senate on Friday urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators to accord their consent for the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2024 for strengthening of the judicial system.
The debate ensued after the fourth meeting of the 343rd Senate Session prior to the presentation of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2024 where the Parliamentary Leaders from the treasury and opposition benches presented their point of views on the legislation.
Taking the Floor, Parliamentary Leader, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Senator Sherry Rehman said the Parliamentary committee formed on the Amendment Bill 2024 met 11 times to hold extensive deliberations on the process.
“It’s my responsibility to remind the masses and this House that PPP formed the unanimous Constitution of 1973, 18th Constitutional Amendment and continued the legacy of Charter of Democracy accorded by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” she added.
Senator Rehman derided the PTI Parliamentary Leader for alleging hidden perils in the legislation. PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto, she said expressed extreme leadership in the process by expanding the consultations’ scope to legal fraternity and civil society while sharing it on media and parliament’s forum as well.
She said the PPP have reached this forum by rendering many sacrifices, adding, “The opposition must understand that they have to keep the country integrated and not disintegrated. Bilawal Bhutto has left no political leadership vacuum by his proactive role.”
Parliament has a working progress, and the opposition had done nothing praise worthy, she said, adding that it should review the Amendment draft and act in a progressive manner.
Initiating the discourse on the Bill, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Parliamentary Leader, Senator Barrister Ali Zafar said the Constitution is a social contract between the state and the masses that unites the people and not divides them, whereas sans consensus, the Constitution loses its spirit and puts the nations two and a half decades back in the history.
“The Constitution of 1956, 1962 had died and paved the way for martial laws due to lack of national consensus,” he said, adding that Article 58-2B was imposed through amendment in the dictatorial regime that harmed the democracy.
He alleged that the process adopted for taking the accent of the Opposition members was against democratic, social and religious norms.
He requested the Chairman Senate to not consider the votes of his party senators who had earlier signed a declaration opposing the Amendment Bill keeping in view the article 63-A of the Constitution.
Barrister Zafar alleged that the procedure to form constitutional benches was tilted and favoring the government which was detrimental for the democracy in the future.
Parliamentary Leader, Awami National Party (ANP), Aimal Wali Khan said that the amendment would help improve judicial system by obstructing tainting practices in dispensation of justice to the masses.
Responding to the PTI Parliamentary Leader, the ANP Senator accused the PTI for being non serious party least interested in legislation as all the party leaders have accorded their consent for the amendment except the PTI. He underlined that the clauses of the Amendment Bill was reduced from 56 to 26 through consensus of all the parties.
Parliamentary Leader, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that the Amendment Bill was intended to ensure public good through speedy justice and improve judicial system for which constitutional benches formulation was being proposed. “All members have read the draft of the Amendment Bill. MQM-P have proposed the clause to ensure local government elections by the provincial governments for a proactive local government system,” he said.
Senator Faisal Subzwari thanked the PML-N leadership and the Minister for Law for supporting the proposal. He requested the PTI members to review the draft and go for a pro-people legislation which is the right of the Parliament.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Parliamentary Leader, Maulana Atta ur Rehman said the Constitution is the foundation of the Parliament, whereas his party raised concerns on the first draft of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill that was posing risk to the state.
“If the draft was not amended then it was a risk and it would harm the future of the country. We invite PTI members to support JUI-F in materializing it’s success achieved by supporting the Amendment Bill,” Maulana Atta said.
He commended the efforts of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other political workers in the process. The JUIF have removed the harmful clauses in the draft, and the government should also rectify the further lacunas during the passage of the Amendment Bill, he added.
Parliamentary Leader, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), Senator Raja Nasir Abbas said the Amendment proposed in the constitution should be consensus-based as any amendment that obliterates the sanctity of the Constitution and contravene its true essence was not acceptable. “We acknowledge and laud the role of JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazl ur Rehman for his visionary role in resolving the deadlock on Constitutional Amendment Bill and rectifying the draft by removing its detrimental clauses. I thank him for his arduous efforts and resolving the problems emerged during the process,” he said.
