Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Wednesday that the constitutional amendment package circulating in public is merely a draft of proposals and cannot yet be considered final.
He made these remarks while addressing a Pakistan and Supreme Court Bar Association event in Islamabad.
“The circulating draft of constitutional amendments is just a set of suggestions. The purpose of establishing a constitutional court is to define the scope of suo motu notices under Article 184, as there was a surge in such notices between 2009 and 2013, and again in 2018 and 2019,” Tarar said, adding that a judge hearing the Benazir Bhutto case had even received threats.
He explained that the proposed amendments would ensure representation from all federal units in the court. “Legislation within constitutional limits is parliament’s prerogative. Until the government approves it, it cannot be considered a bill,” Tarar emphasised.
Referring to the 2006 Charter of Democracy signed by the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N, Tarar said it had agreed to simplify judicial laws, which was also a demand of the legal community. He revealed that negotiations on constitutional amendments had taken place with the PPP between January and March, and both parties had agreed to complete the unfinished agenda of the 18th Amendment.
