Maulana Fazal decries govt for introducing new amendments

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman said on Monday that the amendment to the Anti-Terrorist Act was an insult to 26th Constitutional Amendment and a stain on democracy.

Talking to the media in Islamabad, the JUI-F chief said that allowing individuals to be detained for 90 days on mere suspicion, with the possibility of extending the detention period, was akin to imposing a civilian martial law and was a serious blemish on the face of democracy.

He said that the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League (N), that claimed to be champions of democracy urging respect the vote, today passed an act that tarnished the face of democracy.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the government should consider that the provisions it had agreed upon to withdraw in the 26th Constitutional Amendment were being adopted today in the shape of new amendments. “Are today’s amendments not against the spirit of the Constitution and democary,” he asked.

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The JUI-F chief questioned that the powers (of unelected people) previously withdrawn to protect democracy were restored today. “By passing this act, the government has contradicted its own previous actions. This is an insult to both the Constitution and Parliament.”

Maulana Fazl said that resorting to horse-trading for passing such amendments would be met with public disapproval.