Imran Khan Appeals to UN Against Pakistan’s Constitutional Amendments
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf (PTI) Party, Imran Khan, has reached out to the United Nations. He is opposing the current government’s plans to change the constitution, which he believes threaten judicial independence and human rights in Pakistan.
Concerns Over Judicial Independence
Imran Khan has written a letter to the UN and filed an urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite. His legal team, including Edward Fitzgerald KC, Tatyana Eatwell, and Jennifer Robinson, is advocating on his behalf. They argue that the proposed constitutional changes would affect the Supreme Court’s power and allow human rights violations to go unchecked.
Proposed Constitutional Changes
The amendments include extending judges’ retirement age and creating a new constitutional court. Khan and his party strongly oppose these changes, fearing they will undermine the rule of law and fundamental rights in Pakistan. The amendments would shift jurisdiction from the Supreme Court to a new Federal Constitutional Court, with the chief justice selected by a private National Assembly committee, raising concerns about political interference.
Political Reactions
Imran Khan’s actions have been criticized by the ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who argue that Khan is risking Pakistan’s economic stability for personal political gain. The constitutional package has been delayed as the government lacks the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament to pass it.
Efforts to Secure Support
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif have been meeting with political leaders, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to gain support for the amendments. The ruling coalition is currently short of the required votes in both the National Assembly and Senate.
Doubts Revealed
Imran Khan -: Imran Khan is a famous politician in Pakistan. He was the Prime Minister of Pakistan before. He is also known for being a former cricket player.
UN -: UN stands for the United Nations. It is an international organization that works to maintain peace and cooperation among countries.
Constitutional Amendments -: Constitutional amendments are changes or additions to a country’s constitution. The constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country is governed.
Judicial Independence -: Judicial independence means that judges and courts should be free from outside influence. This ensures that they can make fair and unbiased decisions.
Human Rights -: Human rights are basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world. They include things like the right to live freely and the right to be treated equally.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in a country. It makes important decisions on legal issues and ensures that laws are followed correctly.
Ruling Coalition -: A ruling coalition is a group of political parties that work together to govern a country. They join forces to have enough support to make decisions and pass laws.
