ISLAMABAD: Expressing deep concern, Pakistan has categorically refuted the ungrounded and misplaced apprehensions expressed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights over the recently passed 27th Constitutional Amendment.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Foreign Office highlighted that the Constitutional tweaks were adopted by two-thirds majority of parliament and that “all legislation, as well as any amendment to the Constitution, remains the exclusive domain of the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan”.
“Democracy and democratic methods form the bedrock of civil and political rights and therefore must be respected,” it said.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, in a statement issued on Friday, had said that the tweaks “seriously undermine judicial independence” while raising grave concerns regarding accountability and respect for the rule of law. “Under the changes adopted on November 13, a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has been given powers over constitutional cases, replacing the previous authority of the Supreme Court, which will now only deal with civil and criminal cases,” the statement read.
“These changes, taken together, risk subjugating the judiciary to political interference and executive control,” Turk was quoted as saying. “Neither the executive nor legislative should be in a position to control or direct the judiciary, and the judiciary should be protected from any form of political influence in its decision-making”, the UN official added.
Reacting to Turk’s statement, the FO on Sunday stated that the constitutional amendments adopted by parliament followed due procedures as enshrined in the country’s Constitution.
“Pakistan remains fully committed to protecting, promoting and upholding human rights, human dignity, basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” the FO’s statement read.
Noting that it was regrettable that Pakistan’s views and ground realities were not reflected in the statement issued, the FO urged the UN high commissioner for human rights to “respect the sovereign decisions of Pakistan’s parliament and avoid commentary that reflects political bias and misinformation”.
