15 Former Ambassadors of Pakistan deeply disturb over recent constitution amendment

ISLAMABAD: As many as fifteen former Ambassadors of Pakistan said on Saturday they were deeply disturbed at the hasty manner in which the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Bill has been rushed through the National Assembly and at plans to push it similarly through the Senate, without due deliberation and without allowing sufficient time for public debate.

The Bill, which was drafted by a parliamentary committee in closed sessions, will amend nearly one-third of the Articles of the Constitution and fundamentally alter the way the country is governed. It is therefore essential that before its passage, there should be a careful and thorough-going discussion of all its aspects by members of Parliament, the civil society and the public. Regrettably, however, the Bill was rushed through the National Assembly in just two days after its presentation and without giving an opportunity for a public discussion. Even the text of the Bill is still not available to the public.

We are of the considered view that while the Bill contains several positive provisions such as curtailment in the powers of the President, it falls short on the whole of the goal of full parliamentary democracy, legislative supremacy of the Parliament, separation of powers, an independent and apolitical judiciary and the principle of accountability for all.

We call upon the Government to give wide public circulation to the Bill in order to allow a meaningful national debate of all relevant issues, with the participation of all sections of the civil society, and in the meanwhile to defer further consideration of the Bill in Parliament.