• Gohar says both parties united for supremacy of parliament
• JUI-F leader says constitutional package ‘aimed at protecting govt’

ISLAMABAD: A day after government sources suggested that the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl had agreed to support the 26th constitutional amendment, a PTI delegation met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday, apparently to confirm his stance had not shifted.

While the government is expected to table the proposed amendment in parliament after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the political focus has returned to Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in the federal capital.

The PTI delegation — led by party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and also comprising Salman Akram Raja, Hamid Khan and Raoof Hassan — held an hour-long meeting with the JUI-F leadership at Maulana’s residence to discuss the political situation and the proposed amendments.

Speaking to the media afterwards, both sides described the meeting as productive. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said it was unanimously agreed that there was confusion surrounding the draft of the constitutional amendment. “We will review the draft of the 26th constitutional amendment first, and only then can we discuss it. But the government has turned it into a mystery,” Mr Khan said.

Responding to a question about relations between JUI-F and PTI, he said both parties were united for the betterment of the nation and the supremacy of parliament. He said both parties believe in the independence of the judiciary.

Regarding the recent PTI protest in Islamabad, the party chairman defended the rally, insisting that peaceful protest was their democratic right. “Our demonstration at D-Chowk last week was peaceful,” he said.

PTI leader Salman Akram Raja praised Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s position on the constitutional amendments, calling it “firm” and “historic”.

“The nation will receive good news in the coming days. Maulana Sahib has saved the nation by not supporting the constitutional amendments,” Mr Raja said.

When asked about the whereabouts of PTI lawmakers ahead of a potential parliamentary session on the amendments, Mr Raja reassured the media that all party members were safe and in contact.

Meanwhile, a senior JUI-F leader, while speaking to Dawn, reiterated Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s stance that the proposed amendments were allegedly aimed at protecting the government. He stressed that the JUI-F would oppose any changes that compromise human rights or undermine the judicial system.

The JUI-F leader added that the party is drafting its own version of the constitutional amendment, which focuses on establishing a separate bench or an independent constitutional court. He added that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is also working on a similar draft, both of which will be shared with legal experts in the government.

“We are firmly opposed to any legal changes that would undermine the fundamental rights of citizens,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024