KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has vowed to introduce judicial reforms saying establishment of a constitutional federal court was the need of the hour.

Bilawal said this while addressing a ceremony at Sindh High Court Bar Association here on Tuesday.

The PPP chairman said: “a constitutional federal court, having judges from all provinces, is essential and needed.” He said the present judicial system magnifies 15 percent constitutional cases into 90 percent. “Constitutional reforms are not a new thing, we will bring judicial reforms. Legislation and amending the constitution cannot be done through courts,” he added.

Referring to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he said that the institution which was supposed to do justice in fact did the opposite and ordered the hanging of the former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on the orders of a military dictator. “No doubt, judges always allowed dictators to violate the constitution,” he said, adding, “The apex court tried to snatch the power to amend the constitution from the parliament. But the power belongs to the parliament.”

Bilawal said others’ intentions could be doubted. “But please don’t doubt my intention.” He went on to say that although a member of the parliament (MP), voting against the party policy, will lose his membership; but his vote will be counted.

“The MP then can again go to the people and get elected again,” the PPP chairman said, adding, “We introduced an amendment against floor crossing. We want to make floor crossing for the legislators difficult.”

He said the court gave an undemocratic decision in the article 63-A case. He vowed he would not fall prey to the lawyers and judges’ politics.

Later talking to the media, Bilawal said they brought an amendment against floor crossing to make it tough for lawmakers to switch parties. He added that a member’s vote against the party policy would be counted but the membership would be terminated. And that member should go back to the public and get himself re-elected, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024