HOPES that better sense would prevail have been dashed. Another effort is on the cards before the middle of next month after the last one failed when the government could not muster the requisite two-thirds support in the National Assembly and Senate to push through a constitutional amendment targeting the judiciary.

The amendment was aimed at clipping the superior judiciary’s wings, gaining more control over appointments to the superior courts, acquiring the power to transfer strong-minded judges from one high court to another and, last but not the least, authorising military court trials of civilians.

Even the outcome of the challenges to military court verdicts were sought to be ‘managed’ at the appeals stage with an entirely executive-appointed constitutional court, which would also have become the final forum for the adjudication of all constitutional and fundamental rights issues.

It is clear to anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of politics in Pakistan who is meant by the ‘executive’ in the current context. And herein lies the rub. Most elections in Pakistan have seen a degree of tweaking by the security state.

One can be sure that in the next attempt to push through the amendment, nothing will be left to chance.

However, in last February’s elections, this ‘tweaking’ was of unprecedented proportions. Independent observers say that the establishment, elements of the superior judiciary and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) all played a role to ensure what Gen Zia once called a........

© Dawn