ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is in London for his private visit which opened a political debate that whether he is on a mission. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif is also in London.
JUI-F senior leader Hafiz Hamdullah, however, rejected impressions that party head is on a “mission” to London amid the shifting domestic and geopolitical situation.
Speaking to Aaj News, Hamdullah clarified, “This is Fazl’s private visit, and he has been invited by friends. There is no political agenda behind it.”
Maulana Fazalur Rehman travelled to London following the government’s passage of bills that proposed increasing the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 24 and extending the tenure of the services chiefs from three to five years.
Earlier, the JUI-F- the second largest opposition party in the parliament- voted to the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Hamdullah reiterated that the JUI-F wanted the seniority principle to be upheld in the process of appointing the next Chief Justice of Pakistan.
“The JUI-F isn’t concerned with who becomes the Chief Justice, but we wanted the seniority principle to be followed, at least this time,” Hamdullah explained. “We had an agreement with the PPP on this, but they have now backed away from it.”
Hamdullah said that Parliament should be supreme but questioned who would hold that supremacy if legislation were being passed under “someone else’s orders.”
