JUIF chief slams harassment of parliamentarians ahead of constitutional amendment: PM, Bilawal, Dar dash to incensed Fazl’s house

ISLAMABAD: After engaging the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership in an hour-long discussion, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has confirmed that consultations on the proposed 26th constitutional amendment are progressing. However, he stressed that the government was not taking the opposition’s reconciliatory approach seriously.

Talking to the media along with PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan and other party leaders in Islamabad late on Thursday, the JUIF chief said: “We are engaging with the government with an absolute open-heart.”

However, at the same time, he warned that if the federal government presents the same draft as before, “we will reject it once again”. Fazl reiterated that the government’s initial draft was rejected by his party and it remains unacceptable to him. “We continue to reject the initial draft even today,” he said, but also noted that “some issues are still open for discussion”.

The JUI-F leader also mentioned his recent meeting with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, where they reached a consensus on several matters concerning the constitutional package. However, he underlined the importance of a unanimous amendment, urging the government to take all the opposition parties on board. He also stressed that other stakeholders and special representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar should be included in the special committee overseeing the constitutional amendment process.

During the press conference, the JUI-F chief raised concerns about the alleged harassment of opposition members, noting, “On the one hand, negotiations are taking place, and on the other hand, members are being abducted and offered large incentives.” He added that the coalition government was not taking the opposition’s reconciliatory approach seriously.

Echoing Fazl’s concerns, Barrister Gohar said that “our senators and assembly members are being harassed,” and warned that the PTI might be unable to move forward if the government’s attitude remains the same.

The JUI-F chief also praised the PTI’s “positive attitude” during the discussions over the constitutional amendment, adding both parties will continue the discussion today. He added that the PTI cannot be held in the dark about the constitutional amendment. Expressing the hope for a headway, he noted, “We want to witness a change in the situation by the morning.”

Fazl also called on both the PPP and PMLN-led government to increase representation in the special committee. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dashed to Fazl’s residence in the early hours of Friday. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar also attended the late night meeting with the JUIF chief. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto was also present in the crucial meeting.

Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reached the residence of Maulana Fazlur Rehman after 1 am and held discussion with him on the Constitution amendment bill.

In a related development, the government’s eyes are fixed on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as the electoral body is expected to take the final decision on the letters of National and Punjab assemblies speakers on the reserved seats in a meeting to be held today (Friday).

According to a source, an ECP meeting was held on Thursday, which was presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. The forum took up the speaker’s letters and received a briefing from the commission’s legal team on the reserved seats. The team presented the legal approach. However, the meeting could not take the final decision and decided to meet again. Accordingly, the ECP will have a huddle again and is most likely to take the final decision on the speaker’s letters on reserved seats today.

It may be mentioned that National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq last month had written to the chief election commissioner, conveying that the Supreme Court ruling in the case of the reserved seat could not be implemented following the passage of the Election (Second Amendment) Act 2024.

The letter apprised the CEC that following the passage of the Elections (Second Amendment) Act 2024, independent candidates, who had already joined a political party, could not be allowed to switch to another party. The speaker maintained that no allocation could now be made by the ECP without applying the Amended Election Act to the fullest. The speaker also brought to the CEC’s notice that the Amended Election Act was in the field; therefore, it was the statutory obligation of the ECP to honour the laws made by parliament and uphold the principles of democracy and parliamentary supremacy.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan had also written a letter, asking the ECP to fully implement the provisions of the Amended Election Act without delay. The letter said parliament had already passed the Election Amendment Bill which had now assumed the status of an Act. He stressed that the matter related to the reserved seats now had to be dealt with under the new legislation.