ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar has criticized the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Article 63-A and likened it to rewriting the constitution. He argued that no institution should have the right to interpret the Constitution as it pleased. Tarar praised National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for his efforts in asserting the supremacy of Parliament, highlighting the letter Sadiq wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner as a significant step. The letter challenges the Supreme Court’s ruling on reserved seats, saying recent changes to the electoral law render the court’s directive unworkable. “Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has always performed his role honestly and dealt fairly and courteously with all parties in Parliament,” Tarar said. He added that Sadiq’s primary concern was to ensure that no member was treated unfairly and he consistently excelled in conducting parliamentary affairs. Reacting to the court’s decision, Tarar said he had raised a number of questions about reserved seats. He praised Sadiq’s stance and emphasized that no institution should have the power to interpret the constitution according to its own preferences and that attempts to weaken the parliament would be firmly resisted. Tarar stressed that the power to legislate and interpret the constitution rests solely with the elected representatives of the people and reiterated the government’s commitment to parliamentary rule. Earlier in the day, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq formally challenged the Supreme Court ruling on reserved seats, arguing that changes to the Electoral Act passed by Parliament on 7 August 2024 bar independent candidates who join the party after the election from changing their affiliation. He said the amendment supersedes the Supreme Court decision and urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to fully implement the new legislation. Sadiq also stressed that previous court decisions cannot retroactively affect changes in the electoral law and urged the ECP to abide by the laws passed by Parliament and enforce them. The development is expected to intensify the ongoing debate over the balance of power between Pakistan’s judiciary and parliament, particularly in relation to the evolving rules governing the country’s electoral processes.
