As the government and opposition parties make progress toward consensus on constitutional amendments, the Awami National Party (ANP) expressed its opposition on Monday to a three-year term for the head of the federal constitutional court, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) requested more time to finalize its proposals.
The ANP criticized the proposed three-year tenure for the chief justice as “against constitutional norms” and discriminatory, suggesting it appeared to be tailored to specific individuals. During a meeting of the special parliamentary committee, they also dismissed the idea of establishing constitutional courts in the provinces as “fanciful and absurd,” arguing that it would impose an unnecessary financial burden since high courts are already supported by various tribunals.
The ANP emphasized that the Supreme Court, unlike high courts, handles cases from all high courts, justifying the need for a federal constitutional court (FCC). They insisted that the Constitution should clarify the jurisdictions of both the Supreme Court and the FCC.
In their proposals, the ANP sought amendments to Article 176 to ensure equal representation of judges from all provinces in the Supreme Court. They also called for equal representation of the federal and provincial governments in the management of natural resources and proposed removing “Khyber” from the name of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
ANP President Aimal Wali Khan raised concerns about a proposed amendment to Article 8, which addresses fundamental rights, and received assurances from Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar that it would not be included in the final draft.
The meeting featured a heated exchange between PTI and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders over the amendment process. While PTI members requested additional time for consultations on the proposals, former PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf argued that enough time had already been wasted and urged seriousness in the discussions.
Tensions also flared between the PTI and ANP, with Aimal Wali Khan accusing the PTI of stalling and Omar Ayub from PTI questioning his authority to make such claims. Amid the rising tensions, some members stepped in to defuse the situation.
The PTI stated it would share its proposals after consultations with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, emphasizing that they had no connection to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) proposals, which lacked input from the PTI. The former ruling party was expected to submit its draft by October 17, when the committee will reconvene.
In a related development, Maulana Fazlur Rehman told reporters in Hyderabad that there was alignment among the drafts from the PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F. He mentioned that the government had removed proposals rejected by the JUI-F and indicated that amendments infringing on fundamental rights or bolstering specific institutions would not be acceptable. He also planned to meet with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Karachi and Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, followed by discussions with PTI leaders in Islamabad.
After the parliamentary panel meeting, PML-N parliamentary leader Irfan Siddiqui expressed optimism about the constitutional amendments being presented in both houses of parliament within a week, thanks to the support of the JUI-F. He noted that a broader consensus had emerged among parties, with the PTI being the only one yet to submit its proposals.
Meanwhile, Omar Ayub from PTI claimed that the meeting had not yielded any significant progress, labeling the proposed constitutional amendment package as a “drone attack” aimed at undermining the judiciary.
Separately, PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman and Dr. Asim Hussain met with a delegation from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) at Sindh House. They reached an agreement on advancing constitutional amendments transparently.
At a brief press conference following the meeting, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar emphasized the importance of engaging with all political stakeholders, while PPP Senator Sherry Rehman stated that “political people know how to break deadlocks.” In a message on X (formerly Twitter), PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari remarked that the 26th Constitutional Amendment was long overdue and was not being rushed, affirming that they do not legislate or amend the constitution arbitrarily as has been done by dictators and judges in the past.
