Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar addresses a press conference in Islamabad on March 28, 2024. PHOTO: PID
LAHORE:
Law and Justice Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Saturday that the authority to amend the Constitution rests solely with the Parliament, adding that only time will tell if the 26th Amendment turns out to be a correct decision.
The law minister made the remarks as the Asma Jahangir Conference kicked off in Lahore, bringing together jurists, human rights activists and political figures who addressed issues related to fundamental rights, democracy, judicial independence and international law.
Addressing the conference, the law minister said the 26th constitutional amendment was initiated to address the need to establish a constitutional court.
He noted that the Supreme Court had on certain occasions in the past exceeded its jurisdiction and that some death sentences were later found to be improper during review.
Senator Tarar said extensive consultations were held with various stakeholders on the amendment and issues were addressed after taking allies into confidence.
He explained that the amendment introduced the concept of constitutional benches, recalling that objections had also been raised when the 19th constitutional amendment was introduced.
Talking about the transfer of judges, the law minister said the process would involve consultation with the president, prime minister and the Supreme Court of Pakistan and decisions would be taken keeping in mind the performance of the judges.
He emphasized that if capable judges are available in Punjab and Islamabad, people of interior Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also deserve equal access to competent judiciary.
He said the Constitutional Court had already started functioning and its results would become evident over time.
The law minister stressed the importance of the rule of law and warned that crossing red lines would have consequences.
On the issue of missing persons, Tarar said it was not limited to Pakistan but was a serious global problem. He added that he himself was part of the Judicial Commission on Missing Persons and personally worked on the case.
According to the law minister, the government takes the matter seriously and the judicial commission carries out its duties responsibly.
He also termed it a “bitter truth” that Pakistan has been fighting a war against terrorism for decades.
He said terrorism was inherited as a “gift” from the West, describing it as someone else’s war imposed on Pakistan.
