QUETTA – Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that he is not struggling for the current Chief Justice of Pakistan regarding constitutional amendments.
Bilawal Bhutto said that while his agenda might not be aligned with any specific individual, he had no issues with any of the two judges sitting in the constitutional court.
Speaking at the Balochistan High Court Bar in Quetta, Bilawal emphasized that the 1973 Constitution was restored through a democratic covenant, adding that no judge had the courage to declare the black laws of a dictator unconstitutional at that time while political figures were enduring oppression.
The PPP chairman mentioned that his father was imprisoned without any sentence, highlighting that the judicial system then was not capable of delivering complete justice.
He remarked that if a Prime Minister is removed, no one dares to object, and while it was said that the state would be like a mother, it instead became like a father, primarily due to the influence of Iftikhar Chaudhry, under whom full benches would convene at midnight.
Bilawal further stated that he is not advocating for the current Chief Justice regarding constitutional amendments, and while his agenda might not align with any specific individual, there is hope for change under Justice Faiz Isa and Justice Mansoor’s era. He expressed no issues with either of the two judges sitting in the constitutional court.
He asserted that if the constitution states that there will be a constitutional court, then it should be accepted. The court’s role is to implement the constitution and laws, and after 30 years of struggle, they decided to establish a constitutional court, insisting that no one should become a sacred cow in the country.
He added that the first demand in the new democratic covenant is the establishment of a federal constitutional court. He questioned whether there would be assurances against threats to dismantle the entire 18th Amendment, noting that many cases remain unheard, and political cases often resurface every few months.
Bilawal expressed his desire for a constitutional court at the provincial level as well, stating that the agreement reached with the government is for a federal constitutional court.
He proposed that a committee should decide on judges by consensus, and whoever the committee agrees on should be appointed as a judge. He emphasized the need to create a system that can provide protection in the future.
