In a recent announcement, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari emphasized the urgent need for judicial reforms, attributing the collapse of discussions with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to Imran Khan’s recent remarks.
Speaking in a televised interview, Bilawal highlighted that neither the judiciary nor the parliament is functioning effectively, adding that the government does not have the necessary majority to push through a proposed constitutional package.
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This package, which is aimed at judicial reforms and potentially extending the retirement age of judges, has been delayed due to the lack of support from JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Bilawal confirmed that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah is expected to be the next Chief Justice of Pakistan, succeeding incumbent CJP Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire in October. Despite initial claims of having enough votes to pass the amendments, the government’s efforts have been stalled after failing to secure consensus with coalition partners, particularly Maulana Fazl, who insists on involving the opposition, including PTI, in discussions.
The PPP chairman also criticized the Supreme Court’s focus on political cases, which he claimed take up 90% of its time despite being only 15% of its workload. He reiterated the need for reforms as outlined in the Charter of Democracy, including establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and reforming the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the judiciary.
Bilawal expressed disappointment that Imran Khan’s recent statements on X (formerly Twitter) had undermined efforts to engage PTI constructively in discussions on constitutional amendments, complicating the government’s ability to collaborate with the opposition.
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He further stated that the PPP is drafting its own proposal for a constitutional court, which will be shared with Maulana Fazl, while the JUI-F is also preparing its version. The goal is to reach a consensus on a unified draft, with efforts to include the opposition in the process.