Pervaiz Rashid. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate on Sunday witnessed heated debates on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, with the treasury benches hailing it as a historic step toward strengthening the constitutional framework, enhancing judicial transparency, and ensuring inclusive representation.
However, opposition members rejected the proposed amendment, arguing that it would shake the foundations of the Constitution and undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Taking part in the debate, senior PML-N leader Senator Pervaiz Rashid said the struggle for judicial independence in Pakistan had always been led by political workers and democratic forces rather than the judiciary itself.
He appreciated the amendment bill, saying that judicial independence must not translate into unaccountable authority. Senator Talha Mahmood of the PPP termed the amendment as a timely reform to strengthen the state structure amid internal and external challenges.
Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan of the PML-N criticized opposition parties for politicizing the debate, urging them to participate in committees rather than boycotting legislative work.
Responding to points raised by some lawmakers, leader of the House in Senate Ishaq Dar clarified the historical background of the reforms.
He said the concept of a Federal Constitutional Court was first conceived between 2002 and 2006 during consultations between PPP former chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, later formalized in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed in London on May 13, 2006.
He said the idea was endorsed by all major political leaders, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asfandyar Wali Khan, and Imran Khan, during subsequent follow-up meetings. “This is a shared national vision-common ownership of all political forces,” he said.
Other members Syed Ali Zafar, Faisal Javed, Mohsin Aziz, Noorul Haq Qadri also spoke on the occasion and opposed the constitutional amendment. Addressing the house, PTI Senator Ali Zafar outlined “five points” that he said formed the basic spirit of the 1973 Constitution and were now being “punctured” in the proposed 27th Amendment.
The first, he said, was that Pakistan was a federation with autonomous provinces. Secondly, the elected parliament had authority but was bound to the Constitution.
Zafar said the third point was the fundamental rights provided therein, with courts formed to protect and implement them.
Fourth pillar of the Constitution, he added, was an independent judiciary to protect people’s rights and guarantee democracy, while the fifth one was civilian supremacy.
“If you alter this balance of five pillars even slightly through any amendment, the entire Constitution will be shaken and can result in major chaos,” Zafar warned.
The Senate on Sunday also unanimously passed a resolution to recognize the immense and enduring legacy of poet-philosopher and great thinker Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, on his 148th birth anniversary.
