Constitutional amendments ‘not possible’ without Maulana Fazlur Rehman: Senator Irfan Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD, SEP 19 (DNA) : Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that the constitutional amendments will not be possible without Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s support.

Senator Siddiqui’s comments come after Fazl completely rejected the draft of the “controversial” constitutional package, aimed at making changes to Pakistan’s judicial and parliamentary systems.

“Maulana had no objection to the constitutional court or formula of appointment of judges,” said the PML-N senator while speaking during Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Wednesday.

Siddiqui said that the JUI-F chief did not specifically point out the disagreements, adding that the constitutional amendments will not be possible without him.

“Fazl maintains that constitutional amendments should not be rushed,” said the senator. He further highlighted that there are at least five drafts circulating in the media, hoping that the JUI-F chief’s draft is similar to the government.

Lamenting the lack of “magic number” to table the amendments, Senator Siddiqui said it was expected the numbers would be completed due to Fazl’s support, however “it was our credulity”.

He further said that the time to table the constitutional amendments has not been decided yet, hinting that they may be tabled in September or October.

“As soon as Maulana Fazl is satisfied, the constitutional amendments will be tabled,” Siddiqui said.

What happened?

The government pushed the proposed constitutional package amid speculation about a potential extension in the tenure of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire in October this year, following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request last month for the early issuance of a notification regarding the appointment of the next top judge.

The ruling coalition left no stone unturned to woo Fazl, with leaderships of PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) holding a flurry of meetings with the cleric, but to no avail.

Despite claims of securing the “magic number” needed to push the bill through, the government failed to table the amendments in parliament and postponed its move indefinitely — a development confirmed by Siddiqui.

The amendments allegedly include legislation to extend the tenure of CJP Isa as well as an increase in retirement age of the judges. To pass the constitutional amendments, the government is short of 13 votes in the National Assembly (NA) and nine in the Senate.

The PTI and JUI-F, which have been arch-rivals traditionally, found common ground after the February 8 general elections and expressed mutual concerns over the alleged interference and manipulation during the polls.

Former NA speaker Asad Qaiser hosted a luncheon in honour of the JUI-F head in Islamabad today, which was also attended by other PTI lawmakers including Omar Ayub, Barrister Gohar and former president Arif Alvi.

Speaking to journalists following the meeting, Fazl said they have completely rejected the constitutional amendments’ proposed draft provided by the government. “It [the draft] was shared with specific individuals, not with everyone.”