Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), has harshly criticized the practice of extending visas to military personnel, referring to it as a “flawed” policy that had to be applied to parliament as well.
Speaking to the National Assembly, he questioned why MPs do not have the same privilege and recounted how previous military extensions were forced through.
Referring to the legal system as “outdated,” Rehman urged the administration to work with the opposition to implement judicial changes.
He emphasized that courts are now political organizations, with some judges siding with one group and others with another.
Rehman also demanded changes that would restore the public’s faith in the system and impartialize the judiciary.
Rehman cautioned that the security of the nation would be seriously impacted if law enforcement agencies ceased carrying out their responsibilities, pointing to the ongoing police demonstrations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He went on to criticize the extension process in more detail, pointing out that if this practice is allowed to continue, parliament ought to be granted the same rights as the military and the court.
Rehman suggested the establishment of distinct courts to tackle constitutional issues in addition to addressing the problem of judicial case backlogs, pointing out that the Supreme Court is now facing over 60,000 cases.
Rehman continued by calling for the primacy of parliament and emphasising the need to improve Pakistan’s judicial system, which he claimed was still bound by rules from the British era.
