27th Amendment: JUI-F will oppose any attempt to usurp provincial rights, says Maulana Fazlur Rehman

Islamabad (Web Desk): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has stated that no draft of the proposed constitutional amendment has been released yet.

 Speaking at a press conference, the JU-F chief said if the amendment seeks to reduce provincial powers, his party will oppose it.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman mentioned that a meeting of their parliamentary party was held with the participation of members from the National Assembly and Senate.

However, he clarified that no official draft of the amendment has been made public, and therefore, discussions on the 27th Amendment cannot take place at this stage.

He also highlighted that during the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the government had withdrawn 35 clauses, and if any of these withdrawn clauses are reintroduced in the 27th Amendment, it would be considered a violation of the Constitution.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman further stressed that any attempt to bring back the withdrawn clauses from the 26th Amendment in the 27th Amendment would be unacceptable.

He also reiterated that the 18th Amendment had granted significant powers to the provinces, and any move to reduce these powers would face strong opposition from his party. He emphasized that JUI-F advocates for further empowering the provinces, not diminishing their rights.

Regarding Article 243, Maulana Fazlur Rehman stated that any changes that negatively impact democracy will not be acceptable.

He recalled that during the 26th Amendment, parliamentarians had worked closely together, and several provisions were added to the amendment at their discretion.

Additionally, Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the government for its lack of progress on addressing issues related to interest (usury) and the registration of religious seminaries. He expressed concern over the government's pressure on religious schools to register under the Ministry of Education, calling it an undue interference.

Concluding his remarks, Maulana Fazlur Rehman emphasized that he considers the children of Pakistan his own, and stressed the need for collective thinking and efforts to address the issues facing the country.