LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has launched a strong critique of the government’s sweeping constitutional reforms, accusing ministers of “distorting” Pakistan’s founding document and concentrating excessive power in the hands of the executive.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, JI’s ameer, vowed to continue fighting to restore what he described as the constitution’s original integrity following the Senate passage of the **27th Constitutional Amendment** with a two-thirds majority. The amendment now awaits a vote in the National Assembly.
The proposed amendment, comprising 59 clauses, has stirred significant controversy. Key provisions include Article 243, which would restructure military command, Article 248, granting the president lifetime legal immunity, and Article 200, giving the president authority to transfer high court judges between jurisdictions. Additionally, the amendment proposes the establishment of a Constitutional Court, which critics say could severely tip the judicial balance of power.
Speaking at the Lahore Bar Association in Aiwan-e-Adl, Rehman said these reforms would allow the executive branch to exert decisive influence over judicial appointments and distribution of power. He criticized the proposed renaming of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, claiming it would enable the prime minister to select the nation’s most senior judge. “Now, the head of the constitutional court will be whoever the prime minister chooses. This is direct interference in the judiciary,” he said.
Rehman also dismissed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s economic claims, saying stock market indicators do not reflect the hardships of ordinary Pakistanis. He accused political parties and the public of hypocrisy in their dealings with the establishment, highlighting inconsistent praise or condemnation based on self-interest.
The JI leader further criticized the Senate appointment process, alleging financial influence determined seats in the upper house. He also condemned Punjab’s failure to hold local government elections since 2015 and described the new Local Government Act’s promotion of non-party elections as “unacceptable and undemocratic,” calling instead for transparent, party-based local elections.
Rehman concluded that the amendment violates the constitution’s fundamental spirit, asserting, “No individual, regardless of their power, should be given immunity above the law.”
