Bilawal vows to bring judicial reforms, establish constitutional court

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, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Bilawal said this while addressing a ceremony at Sindh High Court Bar Association in Karachi 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 (SC), 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 men, 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.

Bilawal said the court pronounced an undemocratic decision against Article 63A. The PPP chairman said he would not become a victim of the politics of lawyers and the judiciary.

Responding to questions about the constitutional court, Bilawal said increasing the age of a judge will become controversial. “All the parties must agree on the age of the judge,” he added.

He said for a constitutional federal court, the age of a judge should not be increased without consensus and there should be no age limit for the judge. PPP Chairman Bilawal said in his opinion, a term should be fixed instead of the age of the judge of a constitutional court.