Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has stated that he withdrew his name from the restructured Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), established following the 26th Constitutional Amendment, as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government “failed to uphold its commitment” to guarantee equal representation within the commission.
In a conversation with journalists in Karachi, Bilawal said, “I withdrew from the JCP in protest because the government did not meet its promise of equal representation made during the 26th amendment.”
Responding to a question about the nomination of all current Sindh High Court judges to serve on constitutional benches, Bilawal noted that, had he been present at the JCP meeting, he would have raised concerns about what he described as an “indifferent” attitude toward Sindh.
On November 8, the JCP’s second meeting approved a proposal from Sindh High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui to nominate all current high court judges for constitutional benches to help reduce the case backlog.
Bilawal mentioned that an alternative proposal was also discussed, suggesting that every Supreme Court judge should be part of the constitutional bench. However, the majority disagreed, preferring that the chief justice and the head of the constitutional bench be “non-controversial.”
He further criticized certain judges for engaging in political commentary rather than ruling strictly within constitutional boundaries, saying that such tendencies led to the need for amendments.
Bilawal expressed disappointment at what he viewed as parallel judicial systems, emphasizing that this “indifference is inappropriate,” but added that he remained hopeful that changes could be made in future judicial commission meetings.
Judicial Reforms Commenting on judicial reforms, Bilawal described the 26th Amendment as just the start of a longer process. He emphasized that true reform would be incomplete without extending these changes to the lower and provincial judiciary.
“I have asked the Sindh chief minister to approach the chief justice of Pakistan, the senior puisne judge, the head of the constitutional bench, and the chief justice of Sindh to discuss reforms in the lower judiciary,” he explained. “We want to pursue these reforms collaboratively with legal and judicial input.”
PPP’s Relationship with Federal Government When asked about the PPP’s stance toward the federal government, Bilawal dismissed any notion of a rift, explaining that the party remains in the treasury benches to support the government, though they expect agreements to be fully honored.
“We feel disrespected when a cabinet-approved bill is presented to us after being tabled,” he added.
Regarding new canals on the Indus River, Bilawal cited it as another breach of agreement between PPP and PML-N, which had outlined that both parties would coordinate on the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) across all provinces. He expressed frustration that the canal project was approved while PPP members were preoccupied with the 26th Amendment process.
