Imran Khan registers protest with UN against Shehbaz govt’s move to amend constitution

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former PM and Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf (PTI) Party founder Imran Khan wrote a letter to the UN against the incumbent government’s decision to execute constitutional amendments that aim to threaten judicial independence and human rights in the country, Geo Tv reported.

As the ruling coalition government led by Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif strives to secure the numbers needed to execute its planned constitutional amendments, Imran Khan has written to the United Nations and also filed an urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Margaret Satterthwaite via Edward Fitzgerald KC and Tatyana Eatwell and Jennifer Robinson — both of whom have been instructed by Khan’s family to conduct UN engagement and international advocacy on his behalf, Geo Tv said.

Imran Khan’s counsels Fitzgerald KC, Eatwell and Robinson have claimed that the changes to the Constitution were in fact aimed at affecting the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction and would entrench existing impunity for human rights violations in the country.

This is not the first time Imran Khan has written to an international body regarding Pakistan’s domestic political matters. Earlier he had reached out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urging the global lender to hold an audit of the February 8 polls as they were alleged to be rigged.

The constitutional changes aims to include the extension of judges’ retirement age and formation of a constitutional court, that has been staunchly opposed by Khan and his party.

In his appeal to the UN, Khan has expressed concerns saying that the legislation poses a serious threat to the rule of law, and the protection of fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan, including for him and his supporters. The appeal also urges the UN special rapporteur to issue an urgent communication to Islamabad on the said matter.

In his letter to the UN, Khan allegedly notes that the constitutional amendments would remove jurisdiction from the Supreme Court to a new Federal Constitutional Court, provide for the selection of the chief justice of the new Federal Constitutional Court by a new National Assembly committee whose meetings would be held in private. This raises serious concerns about political interference in judicial appointments and is seen as an attempt to dilute judicial independence and public scrutiny.

The move by Imran Khan drew flak from political leaders of the party in power, who said that Khan’s actions would risk Pakistan’s economic stability for his personal political gains.

Geo Tv observed that is the amendment is passed, it will restrict Khan’s ability to challenge cases brought against him, further undermine the independence of the judiciary, the separation of powers, and the protection of human rights and civil liberties in the country.

The constitutional package, was postponed as the incumbent government failed to secure the necessary numbers in the parliament because such constitutional amendments require the approval of a two-thirds majority in both houses.

The letter is being seen in Pakistan as an attempt by Imran Khan to block the constitutional package as Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif held meetings with political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman recently in an attempt to secure Rehman’s support for the legislation in question, for which the ruling coalition is falling short of thirteen and nine votes in Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate. (ANI)