Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has praised Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa for enabling the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, emphasizing that such reforms would not have been achievable under any previous Chief Justice. He noted that the legislation, which alters the appointment process for the Chief Justice and sets a fixed tenure, was successfully passed with support from the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and its allies, including the PPP.
In a recent interview with BBC Urdu, Bilawal responded to criticisms from opposition parties regarding the timing of the amendment, which they labeled as “questionable” and “person-specific.” He highlighted that Chief Justice Isa has shown a willingness to respect parliamentary decisions, even at the potential cost of his own authority.
Bilawal remarked, “In Pakistan’s judicial history, there’s one individual who has demonstrated a commitment to upholding parliamentary authority.” He acknowledged that during CJP Isa’s tenure, the coalition government had a unique opportunity to advance their agenda, contrasting this with past experiences where other judges manipulated the Constitution for personal gain.
When asked about the potential outcome if Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had assumed the role of Chief Justice, Bilawal asserted that previous judicial decisions, like the ruling on reserved seats, were strategically designed to weaken parliamentary power. He expressed that, had those rulings remained intact, passing any judicial reforms would have been significantly more challenging, regardless of who held the Chief Justice position.
This situation underscores the intricate relationship between the judiciary and the government, particularly in the context of legislative reform and the balance of power in Pakistan.
