KARACHI: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is convinced that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah would be the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) and would be taking charge of the top office next month.

The PPP chairman also believes that they will be able to win over JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the proposed legislation that allows establishment of “constitutional courts”, as envisioned by the PPP and PML-N leadership in the Charter of Democracy.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari shared these thoughts with different news channels on Tuesday night, where he candidly explained his party’s reasons for backing the ‘Constitutional Package’ and what it could “give up” as an ally of PM Shehbaz Sharif to achieve the “real target”.

The PPP chairman also claimed that a draft of the amendments, being shared on mainstream and social media, is not the “real one”.

PPP chairman says Fazl’s support crucial for amendment; reviews proposed constitutional changes at PLF meeting

Asked about the appointment of next CJP after Justice Qazi Faez Isa reaches the age of superannuation next month, the PPP chairman said: “Justice Mansoor will become the next chief justice, I have no doubt about it”.

“CJP Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah are both respectable figures. Both were part of the bench for Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s case, and they should not be made controversial… CJP Isa is the first chief justice who reduced his own powers and agreed to the Practice and Procedures Act, because it was the will of parliament.”

Asked about the reservations of different parties over the proposed legislation, the PPP chairman said his party’s proposals did not put emphasis on the age issue, rather focused on the establishment of constitutional courts. It’s the government that is concerned with age-related changes, Mr Bhutto-Zardari remarked.

“The PPP supported reducing the age limit, to which the government agreed and incorporated into the draft. The government proposed setting the CJP’s maximum age at 67 with a three-year term, he said.

“The JUI-F suggested retaining the current age limit of 65. Our party believes that fixing an age limit, whether 65 or 67, could be seen as individual-specific, aimed at keeping someone in or out of the race. The PPP’s draft, therefore, made no mention of age, instead proposing term-based limits for constitutional courts.”

He made it clear that without a two-thirds majority, the amendments would not be passed and for that the government badly needed the support of Maulana Fazl.

“Passing the constitutional amendment without Maulana’s [Fazlur Rehman] affirmation is impossible,” he said.

“The night before, Maulana and his party had significant objections. The PPP, too, engaged with the government regarding its reservations for clear and concise judicial reforms.

“Engagement with Maulana was intended to follow a similar pattern, with the inputs of all committee members regarding the temporary draft being considered. Only then was the amendment to be passed, but this did not occur. Nonetheless, there is no harm in waiting, as engaging with Maulana Fazlur Rehman is crucial.”

“If a consensus document based on the two drafts is achieved, surpassing the two-thirds majority would become more feasible. While we wish for this process to proceed swiftly, our priority is achieving our goals. This may take more than a month or two, but from Maulana’s perspective, there is a genuine desire for PTI’s involvement,” added the PPP chairman.

On Wednesday, the PPP leader also chaired a meeting of the Peoples Lawyers Forum in Islamabad, where the proposed amendments to the Constitution, including the formation of a federal constitutional court, were discussed threadbare, APP reported.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2024