Constitutional amendments: How Shehbaz government’s plan could impact PTI

Political landscape in Islamabad and Lahore becomes increasingly volatile as Shehbaz administration pushes for constitutional amendments

Meetings between the leadership of PML-N, PPP, and JUI-F, along with the political activity in Islamabad and Lahore, and the meetings of government and opposition parliamentary parties, suggest that the Shehbaz Sharif government is determined to introduce a constitutional amendment before October 25, the retirement date of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

This amendment could not only bring a significant transformation to Pakistan's entire judicial system but could also create a situation that might politically sideline Imran Khan and the PTI. It could also prevent Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the senior-most judge, from becoming the next Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Although the Shehbaz government has not yet made any bill public, according to a proposed draft circulating in the media, the government aims to establish a new parallel Federal Constitutional Court. Furthermore, the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court would no longer be based on seniority; instead, the government would be able to appoint any of the top three senior judges as Chief Justice.

In media interviews, Bilawal Bhutto-Zaridari has already expressed that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah would not be able to control the judges, while Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has raised concerns that he has received signals indicating that an election audit may occur after October. Hence, speculation is growing regarding whether Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will become the next Chief Justice.

Today, the federal cabinet meeting on the new amendment was postponed. Reports suggest that the special parliamentary committee meeting also ended without any consensus.

Meanwhile, in a significant development at the Supreme Court today, former Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Abid Zuberi's lawyer, Hamid Khan, withdrew his two petitions against the proposed amendments, which were then dismissed by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

Currently, the media is reporting that JUI-F and PPP prefer a separate bench within the Supreme Court to handle constitutional cases instead of creating a new constitutional court, while Nawaz Sharif remains rigid about establishing military courts to try the May 9 cases. This rigidity appears to be a key reason for the current deadlock on the amendment.

As I mentioned two days ago and reiterate today, whether it's the creation of a new constitutional court, a constitutional bench, or the legalization of civilian cases in military courts, the outcome of these developments could potentially block the path for a political leader and a political party.