Bilawal Bhutto discusses constitutional package with PLF

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired a meeting of Provincial Presidents of Peoples Lawyers’ Forum at Zardari House Islamabad on Wednesday.

The Central President of PLF Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, member National Assembly Syed Naveed Qamar and the Political Adviser to the Chairman, Jameel Soomro were also in attendance. The President PLF Central Punjab Raheel Cheema, Southern Punjab Sheikh Ghias President KP, Gohar Rehman President Balochistan, Behram Khan and President Sindh Qazi Bashir attended the meeting.

Chairman PPP informed the provincial Presidents of PLF regarding the progress on proposed constitutional amendments. The meeting discussed in detailed the proposed constitutional amendments. The issue of establishing of Constitutional Courts also came under discussion.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the PPP is in favour of establishing Constitutional Courts according to the Charter of Democracy and party’s manifesto. The PPP did not discuss the age of judges in the proposed Constitution amendments whereas the government wanted changes in this regard. The PPP supported to reduce the age for a judge at the time of appointment and the government agreed to the proposal and included it in the draft. The government had also proposed to increase the age of Chief Justice for three years making it 67 years but the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam opposed it and suggested to keep the retirement age to 65. The changes of the age of judges would give a perception that someone would be in and someone would be out which is not appropriate.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that in his view Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will be the next Chief Justice. He said that Justice Qazi Faez Essa and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah were the part of the Bench which announced the historic decision of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s murder. He said that he has lot of respect for these two judges.

Chairman Bilawal said that the PPP has a principled stance about military courts and is not in favour. If the government really wants to legislate about military courts then our demand is to convene a combined meeting of the National Assembly and the Senate on national security. Regarding Article 63-A, Chairman Bilawal said that the unconstitutional verdict has deprived the members Parliament from voting according to their wishes. If a member Parliament votes against party policy then he will not only lose his membership but his vote will also not be counted. The PPP is of the view that the members Parliament should be allowed to vote according to their wishes as was done before and their vote should also be counted. Chairman Bilawal said that the alleged draft of constitutional amendment is not the real draft.