Hafiz Naeemur Rehman says changes tilt power towards executive branch, undermining judiciary’s independence
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has launched a fierce attack on the government’s sweeping constitutional reforms, accusing ministers of “distorting” the nation’s founding document and concentrating power in the hands of the executive.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, the party’s ameer, pledged to continue fighting to restore what he described as the constitution’s original integrity after the 27th Constitutional Amendment passed through the Senate with a two-third majority. The measure now awaits a vote in the National Assembly.
The sprawling amendment contains 59 proposed clauses, including provisions that have sparked controversy. Article 243 would restructure military command, while Article 248 seeks to grant the president lifetime legal immunity.
Under Article 200, the president would also gain powers to transfer high court judges between jurisdictions. Perhaps most contentiously, the amendment proposes establishing a Constitutional Court, which critics argue would fundamentally tip the judicial balance of power.
Read More: 27th amend rushed through Senate amid opp walkout
Speaking to members of the Lahore Bar Association at Aiwan-e-Adl, Rehman said his party had consistently defended the constitution throughout Pakistan’s history, but warned that these changes would give the executive branch decisive control over judicial appointments and the distribution of power.
He took particular aim at proposals to change the title of Chief Justice of Pakistan to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court – an adjustment that he argued would allow the prime minister to handpick the nation’s most senior judge. “Now, the head of the constitutional court will be whoever the prime minister chooses,” he said. “This is a direct interference and attempt to influence the judiciary.”
The reforms, he argued, violated the fundamental spirit of the constitution. “No individual, regardless of their power, should be given immunity above the law,” he said.
Rehman also challenged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s claims of economic progress, dismissing references to stock market performance as disconnected from the struggles of ordinary Pakistanis. “The prime minister keeps pointing to the stock market to claim that the economy is moving in the right direction, but the real economy and lives of ordinary Pakistanis tell a completely different story,” he said.
He accused the public of hypocrisy in their dealings with the establishment, suggesting parties praised or condemned the establishment depending on their own interests. “When the establishment supports us, we say ‘zindabad’ (long live), and when it supports someone else, we say ‘murdabad’ (death to),” he said. “This hypocrisy must end.”
The JI leader also criticised the Senate appointment process, alleging that financial influence determined who secured seats in the upper house, and condemned Punjab’s failure to hold local government elections since 2015. He described the new Local Government Act’s promotion of non-party elections as “unacceptable and undemocratic”, demanding a transparent, party-based electoral system for local bodies.
