The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the de-sealing of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in the federal capital. The directive was issued by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq during a hearing of a petition filed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, seeking the reopening of the premises.
Meanwhile, political maneuvering around the proposed 26th constitutional amendment gained momentum as a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation met with Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday. This meeting came a day after government sources suggested that JUI-F had agreed to support the amendment, prompting PTI to ensure that Maulana’s stance remained unchanged.
The government is expected to present the constitutional amendment in parliament after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. As discussions unfold, the political spotlight has shifted to Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad.
Led by PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the PTI delegation, which included Salman Akram Raja, Hamid Khan, and Raoof Hassan, held an hour-long meeting with the JUI-F leadership. The gathering focused on clarifying the details of the proposed amendment and the current political landscape. Both parties described the meeting as productive, with Barrister Gohar Ali Khan acknowledging that confusion surrounded the draft of the amendment.
“We will review the draft of the 26th constitutional amendment first, and only then can we discuss it. The government has turned it into a mystery,” Mr. Khan remarked. He emphasized that both PTI and JUI-F were aligned on supporting the supremacy of parliament and the independence of the judiciary.
Regarding the recent PTI protest in Islamabad, Mr. Khan defended the party’s right to peaceful protest, describing the demonstration at D-Chowk as their democratic right. PTI leader Salman Akram Raja lauded Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s firm stance on the constitutional amendment, calling it “historic” and hinted at positive developments ahead.
Meanwhile, a senior JUI-F leader reaffirmed Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s opposition to the proposed amendments, stating that they appeared designed to protect the government. The JUI-F leader further revealed that the party was drafting its own version of the constitutional amendment, with a focus on creating an independent constitutional court. He also noted that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is working on a similar draft, both of which will be shared with legal experts within the government.
“We are firmly opposed to any legal changes that would undermine the fundamental rights of citizens,” the JUI-F leader emphasized.
