PPP Chairman Bilawal praises lawyers for upholding law, constitution

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has lauded the role of lawyers in upholding the sanctity of law and Constitution in the country.

Addressing Peoples’ Lawyer Forum, here on Thursday, he said lawyers have always stood by civil society and democratic forces in movements for restoration of Constitution during the dictatorial rules.

Talking about recent proposed judicial reforms, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said a separate Constitutional Court will also be very helpful in reducing the backlog of cases in Supreme Court, allowing it to concentrate more effectively on delivering timely justice in other matters.

The government has been promoting the proposed constitutional package amid speculation about a possible extension of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s tenure, as he is set to retire in October this year. This follows a request last month by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the early issuance of a notification regarding the next CJP’s appointment.

The amendments reportedly include provisions for extending CJP Isa’s tenure and the establishment of a constitutional court. However, the government is 13 votes short in the National Assembly (NA) and nine votes short in the Senate to pass these amendments.

In his address, Bilawal vowed to honor the commitments made in the 2006 Charter of Democracy (COD), which, he highlighted, also called for the creation of a constitutional court. He pointed out that “at least 50% of the cases in the Supreme Court are constitutional, taking up 90% of its time,” and questioned why a separate court could not be established to help reduce the case backlog.

Bilawal stressed the importance of consulting not just allied political parties and the legal community, but also the judiciary on the formation of a constitutional court. “It should be determined if the general public is satisfied with the current judicial system,” he said, adding, “If not, then a constitutional court must be established.”

Furthermore, the PPP chairman criticized the current proposed amendments as “inadequate” and suggested that constitutional courts should also be established at the provincial level. He also called for reform in the judicial appointment process, asserting that “parliament has decided that the people will decide who becomes a judge.”

Bilawal criticized the tradition in Pakistan where family connections can influence judicial appointments, claiming this practice has “severely damaged” the country’s judiciary. Referring to past chief justices, he lamented that former chief justice Iftekhar Chaudhry’s legacy was often carried on by “certain individuals like Saqib [Nisar] and Gulzar [Ahmed].”