PPP, JUIF concur on constitutional draft

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), has announced that his party and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have reached a consensus on the draft of the proposed 26th constitutional amendment package.

According to Fazlur Rehman, the consensus was achieved after extensive deliberations between the two parties. He praised Bilawal Bhutto for playing a crucial role in bringing the parties together on this issue. Now the JUI-F leader plans to meet with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership to build wider support for the amendment.

The JUIF chief announced the major development while talking to media persons late on Tuesday night after concluding an exhaustive session with the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari here at Bilawal House. Fazl said that he was going to meet leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on the proposed constitutional amendment package in Islamabad the following day. He said he would try to develop a broader consensus on the constitutional document to ensure its passage by the parliament with unanimity. He expressed gratitude to the PPP Chairman for reaching a consensus on the proposed constitutional amendment.

Bilawal was assisted in the meeting by PPP Women Wing President Faryal Talpur, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Shazia Marri, Syed Naveed Qamar, and Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab. The JUIF delegation comprised Maulana Asad Mahmood, Rashid Mahmood Soomro, Nasir Mahmood Soomro, Kamran Murtaza Murtaza, Mufti Ibrar, Maulana Asjad Mahmood, Maulana Ubaidur Rehman, and Usman Badeni.

Talking to media persons, Bilawal said that PPP and JUIF had always played a constructive role whenever any effort was made to draft the constitution. The PPP Chairman said that he was going to meet former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Raiwind on Wednesday (today) to develop a consensus on this issue and was hopeful in this regard. Bilawal said details of the consensus would be disclosed later.

The PPP chairman said the working relationship between the PPP and JUIF would continue. He recalled that Maulana Fazl had earlier worked with President Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto. Bilawal told media persons that it was the desire of the JUIF that the consensus on the issue of the constitutional amendment shouldn’t be just confined to Pakistan Muslim League (N), JUIF, and PPP but also include PTI and other political parties.

“Our focus isn’t person-specific; rather our emphasis is on resolution of issues. Given the present political scenario, he said it was difficult for different political parties to develop a consensus. He urged the political parties to reach a consensus to serve the interests of the country while leaving aside their vested interests. Bilawal also expressed gratitude to the JUIF chief and his team for holding talks with his party.

The PPP and JUIF chiefs also welcomed Islamabad hosting the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation which would go a long way in strengthening regional stability. Both the leaders recalled that the PPP and JUIF had worked together to pass the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

Earlier, the meeting of the Special Committee of Parliament tasked with finalising the draft for the 26th constitutional amendment has been rescheduled for today (Wednesday) instead of Thursday. The government has also decided to convene separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate on Thursday (October 17). The Special Committee’s meeting was initially scheduled for Thursday (October 17), but it will now meet today (Wednesday) to discuss the constitutional amendments to reach a consensus draft for the 26th constitutional amendment.

According to sources, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has sent a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari requesting the convening of a separate session of the National Assembly on October 17 (Thursday). Sources indicate that the summary sent by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs proposes convening the National Assembly session at 4pm, while the Senate session is set for 3pm the same day.

In the meantime, following a meeting with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto in Karachi, JUIF Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is expected to meet with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today (Wednesday). Political observers consider this meeting significant as it may determine the future political and parliamentary strategy regarding constitutional amendments.

Meanwhile, in a social media post, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the establishment of a federal constitutional court has been a part of the party’s manifesto since the 2007 elections, following the Charter of Democracy signed in 2006. He said that many of today’s critics had previously supported this reform, and their current opposition is driven by personal biases or partisan political agendas. “Our party’s stance has been consistent for nearly two decades. Our representatives, elected in every election during my chairmanship, have been given a mandate by the people of Pakistan to establish a federal constitutional court with equal representation for all,” he wrote in a post on ‘X’ on Tuesday.

Bilawal also attached relevant sections of the Charter of Democracy, as well as excerpts from the PPP’s 2013 and 2024 manifestos, to his post. The PPP chairman said that the party has contested every election since 2007 with a manifesto commitment to judicial reforms, including the establishment of a federal constitutional court. “Please refer to the attached sections from the 2006 Charter of Democracy, the 2013 manifesto, and the 2024 election manifesto,” he said.