LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said the parliament is the only forum that can draft, amend or change the Constitution, while the judiciary can only interpret it.

He was responding to the media queries during the ‘Dialogue on Judicial Reforms’ organised by the People’s Information Bureau at the Governor House here on Tuesday.

He criticised the judiciary for allowing dictators to amend the Constitution while preventing the parliament from doing so.

Mr Asharaf said the PPP is against military courts, but if the establishment of such courts becomes necessary, the issue should be discussed at an appropriate forum.

He called upon all stakeholders, including the PTI, to sit together and discuss the formation of a constitutional court, stating that there should be no discord over the matter.

The ex-PM emphasised that the parliament, representing 250 million voters, is the true voice of the people, and without giving respect to the parliament, no institution can get respect.

Ex-senator Farhatullah Babar stated that accountability should be impartial and apolitical, criticising former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry for appointing 106 judges during his tenure and dismissing 100 others.

He argued if a single individual appoints Supreme Court judges, those judges will only serve the interests of that individual.

Mr Babar argued that Pakistan is a federation, and most of the constitutional issues arise between the centre and the provinces, so equal representation for all provinces, similar to the Senate, is necessary in the constitutional court.

Senator Zamir Ghumro pointed out that baseless propaganda is being spread about the proposed 26th constitutional amendment. PPP Azad Kashmir chapter President Chaudhry Yasin remarked that dictators had disfigured the 1973 Constitution.

Barrister Amir said Pakistan got a consensus constitution due to Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s movement and stressed that the 1973 Constitution is still a blessing in a political climate where leaders and judges don’t trust each other.

The event was moderated by Shehzad Saeed Cheema and Malaika Raza. Other notable participants included Rana Jawad, Usman Malik, Chaudhry Akhtar, Mian Ayub, Dr. Khayam, Bushra Maneka, Aziz-ur-Rehman Chan, Aslam Gill, and Dr Ayesha Shaukat.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024