Wahab dismisses criticism of 26th amendment as ‘baseless claims’

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s spokesman has dismissed the opposition’s criticism of the 26th constitutional amendment as baseless allegations rooted in mere assumptions.

During a press conference at the Bilawal House Media Cell on Tuesday, Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the positive outcomes of the amendment would soon become evident to the nation. He praised the PPP chief for his dedicated efforts and genuine leadership in garnering broad consensus in the amendment’s support.

He emphasised that the 26th amendment is a necessity of the times, and rejected the notion that it would undermine the judiciary’s independence. He clarified that decisions would still be made by judges, and the parliament would not interfere in judicial matters.

He said that no new procedure has been introduced for the appointment of the chief justice, but rather the principles already established by the Supreme Court have been adopted. He remarked that if the prime minister, other ministers and assembly members are not exempt from accountability, the performance of judges should also be evaluated. He pointed out that all the judges are excellent, and that through self-accountability, they would perform even better.

He also dismissed the accusations that the approval of the amendment was rushed through, explaining that the process had been under way for the past two months. He highlighted that the PPP chairman’s role as a bridge between the government and other political parties in facilitating the passage of the amendment demonstrated that even opposing parties can come together through leadership and democratic tolerance to approve a better document. He expressed appreciation for all the political parties that cooperated in the approval of the amendment.

Wahab, who is also the Karachi mayor, rejected the criticism that he is not paying enough attention to the city’s issues, pointing out that the Sindh chief minister inaugurated several development projects on Tuesday, which serves as clear evidence that work is being done in the city.