Recently, the government finally managed to gather the necessary members to achieve a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament for the 26th constitutional amendment. In an unusual session, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif delivered a closing speech at dawn, marking the end of a long night of parliamentary proceedings. Maulana Fazlur Rehman also arrived after midnight, and upon his arrival, he was greeted warmly by political leaders such as Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and others. When proceedings began, Maulana Fazlur Rehman addressed the house and openly declared, “We have removed the poisonous fangs of this amendment, and now it can no longer harm anyone.” He added that both the government and the opposition (PTI) were intimidated by one judge or another, and by finding a middle ground, amendments were made possible. Before passing in the National Assembly, twenty-two clause-by-clause amendments were presented in the Senate, though according to Aimal Wali Khan, 26 amendments were initially approved, but only 22 were presented due to Maulana’s intervention. The draft of the constitutional amendment included five amendments proposed by the JUI. In the Senate, Maulana’s brother, Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, also referred to a “black snake” whose teeth had been broken by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while PPP Senator Sherry Rehman commented that there was never any snake to begin with.
The PML-N and PPP both claimed that the 26th amendment had completed the unfinished agenda of the Charter of Democracy, while PTI declared these amendments as a betrayal by government members and boycotted the proceedings. Maulana endorsed PTI’s boycott, stating that there was no longer any dispute regarding the amendments, with PTI also having agreed. He acknowledged PTI’s right to protest, calling it legitimate. PTI’s chairman, Barrister Gohar, stated that they were not part of the approval process for the amendment bill. Surprisingly, PTI had agreed to the amendments, which implied no objections on their part; however, the government approved the 26th amendment on Sunday night, without allowing PTI leaders to further consult with their founder.
Bilawal Bhutto emerged as a major political figure in the campaign to approve the constitutional amendments. From the beginning, he took a proactive role, meeting with leaders and ultimately persuading Maulana Fazlur Rehman. However, Maulana secured approval for all his demands, shattering PML-N and PPP’s dreams of a constitutional court, forcing them to agree to constitutional benches instead, and ultimately emerging victorious. Several religious figures praised Maulana’s wisdom, stating that his intervention prevented unrest in the country, while the amendment addressed issues related to the elimination of interest, the federal Shariah court, and religious seminaries.
Both the government and PPP, along with allied parties, showed great admiration for Maulana’s pivotal role in the 26th amendment and paid him grand tributes. Even PTI praised Maulana, welcoming PTI’s representation in the twelve-member committee with three leaders. However, late at night, PTI’s political committee refused to participate in a parliamentary committee meeting on the Chief Justice’s nomination, despite committee members’ efforts. PTI’s leaders displayed a stubborn stance, and after three days of silence, announced that while the government had passed the 26th amendment, they would reject it upon coming to power. This statement was issued by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who was reportedly displeased by PTI leaders repeatedly turning to Maulana for assistance. Unlike other PTI leaders, he refrained from commenting on Maulana’s role in the constitutional amendments.
PTI’s senior leaders, including the President, Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, ministers, and especially Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, frequently visited Maulana, boosting his political stature as they continuously sought his support to pass the amendments. Maulana ultimately managed to have all his conditions fulfilled before agreeing to vote on the amendments. He approved the amendments after ensuring that constitutional clauses were reduced and the government had been forced to compromise.
It’s said that Maulana deftly played a political game by establishing ties not only with the government, PML-N, and PPP but also with PTI. By supporting the government, he emerged as a seasoned and skilled political player. Just as the IMF imposes its conditions on Pakistan, Maulana prevented PML-N and PPP from pushing through amendments entirely to their liking, exhibiting remarkable political acumen and negotiation skills.