LAHORE: Senior lawyers have voiced strong opposition to the proposed constitutional package and urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to distance himself from the ongoing controversy. In a joint statement on Sunday, Supreme Court advocates Muneer A. Malik and Faisal Siddiqi called on CJP Isa to honorably retire on October 25, 2024, allowing Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah to rightfully assume the role on October 26.
The lawyers also requested that CJP Isa refrain from accepting any nominations for a position in the proposed constitutional court or bench, referencing their previous support for Isa against an unconstitutional presidential reference.
Muneer Malik specifically highlighted the government’s actions as an unprecedented assault on both the Constitution and the judiciary, cautioning that such amendments should not be enacted by a parliament lacking national legitimacy.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Shehzad Shaukat expressed concerns about the government’s secrecy surrounding the constitutional package. He acknowledged that the SCBA might not oppose the proposed amendment for establishing a constitutional court, which could address the delays in common people’s cases. However, Shaukat warned against any judge-specific amendments or efforts to extend the retirement age of judges.
Other legal voices, including Khurram Chughtai and Asad Jamal, criticized the government’s “non-serious” approach to the proposed package, drawing parallels to the 18th Amendment and pointing out the incomplete state of the current parliament.
