The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and opposition parties late Wednesday evening reached out to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to woo his support against the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.
A Parliamentary delegation belonging to the opposition parties led by the nominated opposition leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai and the chief of his own faction of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) visited the residence of Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman in Islamabad.
The delegation included nominated leaders of the opposition in the Senate and the leader of Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM) Allama Nasir Abbas and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.
The meeting aimed to strengthen coordination among opposition parties on the issue of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.Speaking to the media after the meeting Maulana Fazlur Rehman warned the powers in authority against making Constitution a ‘plaything’.
He said that within a year, another amendment is being pushed through in a similar manner as before.Fazlur said, “When amendments are made under coercion, how can the people continue to have faith in the Constitution?”
The JUI -F chief added, “My fear is that if this continues, public trust in the Constitution will be completely eroded.”
He claimed that during the 26th Amendment, “we forced the government to withdraw 34 clauses that would have undermined key constitutional protections — but now preparations are once again being made to do the same.”
The JUI-F chief said the opposition had not yet received the draft of the 27th Amendment so how can that be presented in the parliament.
“But opposition parties would develop a unified stance on it collectively,” he added.
Maulana said that the conducive political environment was being deliberately pushed toward confrontation.“
One minister has been working on this amendment for three months – it means that the contents of this amendment came from somewhere else.” JUI-F said.
He accused Senator Ishaq Dar of deceiving as he had been saying up to recent past that the 26th amendment was yet not clear therefore any new amendment cannot be possibly brought.
Maulana also spoke about Afghanistan and said that the accusations being made against Afghanistan today are the same ones being made against Iran.
“We want a pro-Pakistan, Afghanistan,” he said.
While , PTI leader Asad Qaiser said that Maulana has supported the stance of Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
“We will look into the 27th Constitutional Amendment, collectively” he said, “The opposition will be united in the House.”
He also added that Mahmood Khan Achakzai should be notified as the opposition leader as early as possible.
A day earlier Allama Nasir Abbas had said that he cannot oppose the 27th Amendment.
“Bcause we do not know what is inside it,” he said adding, ” At the same time how can we support something because we do not even know what is in that document?”
He slammed the incumbent government and the authorities in powers saying that they have made a mockery of the state, system and the nation by frequent changes in the Supreme order of the country that is the Constitution.
