No alteration should be done with the constitution till the appointment of new chief justice of Pakistan: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman
LAHORE, Oct 19 (SABAH): Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman while completely rejecting the 26th constitutional amendment has demanded that no alteration should be done with the constitution till the appointment of the new chief justice of Pakistan. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has asked question from Pakistan People’s Party and Maulana Fazlur Rehman that who is pressuring you for constitutional amendment. He said that government wants judiciary and chief justice of its own choice but we will not happening this.
This was stated by Hafiz Naeemur Rehman while addressing a press conference along with Naib Emir JI Liaqat Baloch, Secretary General JI Ameerul Azim, Secretary Information JI Qaiser Sharif and Emir JI Lahore Ziauddin Advocate at Mansoorah on Saturday.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that we are going to conduct referendum on electricity bills that whether the bills should be paid or not. He said that if five IPPs have been closed then where are the expenditures saved from them and why relief is not being given to the people on electricity bills. While commenting on the alleged rape of a college girl, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that investigations should be done to clear the matter. He said that the people are not ready to accept the stance of the government because it was formed in result of form-47. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that we welcome the formation of full bench of the Lahore High Court on the matter of the alleged rape of the college girl, adding that the court should bring the facts about the incidents in front of masses.
While condemning the martyrdom of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that Israel is committing mistake if it thinking to achieve its targets by martyring Ismail Haniyeh or Yahya Sinwar. He said that the statements of Nawaz Sharif regarding friendship and trade with India are regrettable. He said that the government wants judges and decisions of its own choice, adding that the constitutional amendment based on give and take is not acceptable for Jamaat-e-Islami. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced to observe black day on 27th October against Indian aggression.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman advised the opposition not to entangle themselves in the amendment issue at this critical juncture. He suggested that the debate on the amendment could be postponed until the retirement of the current chief justice. He questioned why opposition parties were engaging in discussions with the government on this matter.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman emphasized that the Constitution is a consensus document, and any changes to it must be agreed upon by all political parties, including those not currently in parliament, and should take place after the chief justice’s retirement. He called for broader dialogue on judicial reforms, reiterating that the appointment of the chief justice should remain based on seniority. He firmly opposed any change to this method, arguing that allowing a parliamentary committee to appoint the chief justice would undermine judicial independence. According to Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, the government’s approach to judicial appointments reflects its desire for control and pick and choose favoritism, which he said compromises the judiciary’s autonomy. He also formed committee under the chair of vice emir of the JI Liaqat Baloch to prepare a draft for judicial reforms.
He announced that the JI has established a legal forum under JI Lahore chapter emir Ziaur Rehman Ansari Advocate to provide free legal aid to people who could not afford lawyer’s fee.
He noted that Jamaat-e-Islami’s “Haq Do Awam Ko” movement is ongoing, and urged the government to honor the Rawalpindi agreement by providing relief to the public in the form of reduced electricity bills and the abolition of agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman affirmed that JI will continue to advocate for the rights of the people of Kashmir and Palestine.