ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Thursday, while endorsing the Supreme Court’s decision on Article 63-A has called on the government to delay the proposed constitutional amendments until the conclusion of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Addressing a press conference here, Fazl said that the JUI accepts the verdict of the Supreme Court on Article 63-A, but strongly opposes any form of political “match-fixing” in the process.

He also slammed the government’s urgency in passing constitutional amendments, questioning the emergency surrounding the legislative process. “We accept the court’s decision, but it should not be used for match-fixing. The government needs to explain why there is such an emergency to pass these amendments,” Fazl said, referring to the proposed amendments before the government.

The JUI-F leader also urged the opposition to suspend their protests to maintain political stability during the international event, saying that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has every right to hold protest rallies and public gatherings but should act in accordance with the rules and regulations. He advised the PTI leadership to avoid issuing threats to other federating units and the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) must act in line with the constitutional guidelines.

Responding to a question, he clarified that there is no agreement in place for a joint protest with the PTI, adding that JUI has organised some of the biggest public gatherings and protest rallies over the past few months across the country.

Fazl emphasised the need for a more deliberative process regarding the constitutional amendments, pointing to the example of the 18th Amendment, which took nine months of discussions before all parties reached an agreement.

“The government informed me that these amendments are being rushed, but I question why there is such an urgency to make constitutional changes under an emergency,” he stated.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024