ISLAMABAD: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court, which overturned its 2022 ruling on the interpretation of Article 63(A) of the Constitution, but warned against any "match-fixing" amid the government's push for a judiciary-focused constitutional package.
The Supreme Court's decision, seen as a major victory for the ruling coalition, unanimously admitted a review petition against its previous ruling, which dealt with the defection clause.
The majority opinion was delivered by then-Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar, while Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel dissented.
In the latest decision, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa ruled that votes from lawmakers who deviate from party directives will now be counted in future legislation.
Addressing a press conference, Fazlur Rehman stated, "We accept the court's ruling, but there should be no match-fixing. It shouldn't become a means of buying or selling votes."
When asked about potential horse-trading ahead of the constitutional package, Maulana Fazl said that no member of his parliamentary party has ever engaged in "floor crossing" in either national or provincial assemblies.
He also urged the government to postpone introducing the constitutional amendment until after the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on October 15-16 in Islamabad. The summit will focus on cooperation in areas like finance, economics, and socio-cultural affairs.
Fazlur Rehman also appealed for political differences to be set aside temporarily and asked the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to delay its anti-government protests.
He clarified that his party had no plans to support the government's proposed judicial reforms, expressing frustration that none of their suggestions had been included. He questioned the government's rush in pushing for constitutional amendments, comparing it to the nine-month process for the 18th Amendment. He also criticized the lack of progress on Islamic legislation and unresolved issues concerning madrassa registration.
In response to a question, Fazl said that JUI-F and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had agreed to draft their own constitutional amendments and seek consensus.
