KARACHI: Lawyers oppose move to amend constitution
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 21: The lawyers community has opposed the move to introduce the presidential form of government in the country, and to make certain amendments to the constitution which will debar a person from assuming the office of the prime minister for a third term.
In a press release on Friday, the Sindh Bar Council (SBC0) said the lawyers community would oppose the proposed amendments to the constitution.
The SBC urged the chief executive not to make such amendments and leave this to elected representatives.
It demanded of the chief executive to hold elections within the time frame given by the Supreme Court and transfer power to elected representatives.
The SBC Vice President, Mustafa Lakhani, said the lawyers community would oppose the proposed amendments to the constitution.
He pointed out that even the Supreme Court had not allowed the chief executive to amend the constitution that would affect the salient features of the constitution, ie, independence of judiciary, federalism, and parliamentary form of government blended with Islamic provisions.
The Supreme Court had even held that the 1973 constitution still remained the supreme law of the land, so the chief executive could not alter or amend the constitution the way he liked.
Mr Lakhani said the proposed amendments, if effected in the constitution, would be wholly illegal and unconstitutional as the constitution could not be amended by one man, and it was only an elected parliament which could amend the constitution.
