Islamabad (Web Desk): Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday informed the National Assembly (NA) that the constitutional package will be presented in the Parliament after evolving complete consensus on it.
Speaking on the floor of the house, the minister said it is the utmost desire of the government to develop maximum consensus on the proposed constitutional package.
He said it is not aimed at strengthening one individual or a political party but the Parliament in accordance with the Constitution.
The minister said that the proposed constitutional package remained in discussion within the media and political parties over the last two days. He said the package is an attempt to correct the constitutional imbalances and undo the 19th Amendment, emphasizing there was no politics involved in it.
The defence minister pointed out that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had signed the Charter of Democracy (COD) and it is our effort to bring amendments in the constitution that aligns with this broad based consensus document.
He said that the establishment of a constitutional court was also a part of the COD.
The minister said that there are several countries where these constitutional courts exist. He said there is no political interest if we want to reduce burden on the judiciary and bring ease in the lives of the people.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar informed the house that the process of talks has been initiated with all the political parties in the Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) on the proposed constitutional package.
Responding to points raised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Asad Qaisar, the minister said it would be the government’s efforts to evolve consensus on the document.
He urged the opposition parties to come up with positive recommendations instead of undue criticisms, assuring that these would be accommodated in the proposed constitutional package.
The minister called upon the opposition to come forward and support the positive move in order to provide relief to the people suffering for the last over last seven decades.
Azam Nazeer said any legislation in line with the constitutional structure was the prerogative of the Parliament.
“The proposed constitutional package envisaged formation of the judicial commission as per the spirit of the 18th CoD,” he said.
He said that under the package, it was proposed to empower the judicial commission to regulate and evaluate the performance of the judges of the high courts.
Tarar said that the judges enjoyed official perks and privilege and it was his sole responsibility to dispense timely justices to the masses. Justice delay was tantamount to justice denied, he added.
The minister said that during formation of the incumbent government, proper consultation was made with different parties including the PPP, PML-Z, IPP, ANP, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Dr Abdul Malik and others.
“After formation of the government, it was our top priority to bring judicial reforms as it was unfinished part of CoD,” he added.
Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the 18th constitutional amendment ratified all wrong doings made with the 1973 constitution. He paid tribute to the parliament for the said landmark amendment.
He said the package was a set of amendments to the Constitution. As per procedure, a constitutional amendment first needed to be cleared by the federal cabinet, he added.
The law minister said that the constitutional package has not been presented before the federal cabinet yet.