LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has again urged opposition parties to firmly reject the proposed constitutional amendment, calling on the government to issue a notification regarding the appointment of senior-most judge Mansoor Ali Shah as chief justice of Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference in Mansoora on Saturday, he advised the opposition not to entangle themselves in the amendment issue at this critical juncture.

He suggested that the debate on the amendment could be postponed until the retirement of the current chief justice. He questioned why opposition parties were engaging in discussions with the government on this matter.

Rehman emphasised that the Constitution is a consensus document, and any changes to it must be agreed upon by all political parties, including those not currently in parliament, and should take place after the chief justice’s retirement.

He called for a broader dialogue on judicial reforms, reiterating that the appointment of the chief justice should remain based on seniority. He firmly opposed any change to this method, arguing that allowing a parliamentary committee to appoint the chief justice would undermine judicial independence.

According to Rehman, the government’s approach to judicial appointments reflects its desire for control and pick and choose favoritism, which he said compromises the judiciary’s autonomy.

The JI emir also criticised the government, saying it lacked legitimacy to amend the Constitution, as it came to power through a fraudulent mandate, referring to the manipulation of Form 47.

He also formed a committee under the chair of party naib emir Liaqat Baloch to prepare a draft for judicial reforms.

Rehman welcomed the formation of a full bench to address the alleged rape case of a female student at a private college. He called on the government to present its investigation report to the bench, stressing that the public deserved to know whether the incident was a case of fake news or an actual crime.

He announced that the JI had established a legal forum under its Lahore chapter emir Advocate Ziaur Rehman Ansari to provide free legal aid to the people who could not afford lawyer’s fee.

The JI leader condemned the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and denounced Israeli atrocities in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Hamas and the people of Palestine.

He urged the government to honour the Rawalpindi agreement by providing relief to the public in the form of reduced electricity bills and the abolition of agreements with independent power producers (IPPs).

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2024