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National Post
a day ago
- Politics
- National Post
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas forms committee to draft constitution for 'Palestine'
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on Monday evening issued a presidential decree establishing a committee to draft an interim constitution, the Ramallah-run Wafa news agency reported. Article content The move comes against the backdrop of France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia declaring their intentions to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations meeting next month. Article content Article content 'President Abbas took this step in the context of preparations for holding general elections following the cessation of Israeli genocidal aggression on the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Strip, and after the State of Palestine assumes responsibility in the Strip in the process of transition to Palestinian statehood,' the article states. Article content The last general P.A. election was held on Jan. 25, 2006, when the Hamas terrorist group won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Abbas, 89, was elected on Jan. 9, 2005 and is still serving what was to have been a four-year term ending in January 2009. Article content Jerusalem opposes a Palestinian state and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently stated that neither Hamas nor the P.A. can govern Gaza after the war's conclusion, saying on Saturday night that the next entity controlling the Strip 'will live in peace with Israel.' Article content Article content According to the Wafa report, the constitution-drafting committee is a step 'intended to lay the foundations for the establishment of the State of Palestine and its institutions through preparing a draft constitution that enshrines the constitutional principles of a democratic system of governance based on the rule of law, the separation of powers, the respect for and protection of rights and public freedoms, and the peaceful alternation of power.' Article content Article content Eight lawmakers from Israel's ruling Likud Party on Monday published an open letter to Netanyahu, calling on him to apply the country's civilian law to parts of the West Bank. Article content Article content The move 'is both a national imperative and a necessary response to growing international momentum for the recognition of a Palestinian state,' wrote signatories Dan Illouz, Ariel Kallner, Galit Distel-Atbaryan, Keti Shitrit, Avichay Boaron, Afif Abed, Moshe Passal and Hanoch Milwidsky. Article content Ilouz, who initiated the letter, told JNS: 'The moment to apply sovereignty is now. We have a stable right-wing government, a sympathetic American administration, and we are faced with a dangerous move by countries that are pushing for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel. Every delay comes at a price — in security, legitimacy and our national future. This is the time to decide.' Article content
India Gazette
06-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Exiled leader Jamil Maqsood slams judicial injustice in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
Brussels [Belgium], July 6 (ANI): Jamil Maqsood, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) and currently living in exile in Belgium, has issued a scathing critique of the judicial and administrative structure in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). In a comprehensive legal paper titled 'The Incapability of the Judicial System in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir Under Pakistani Administrative Control: A Constitutional and Legal Critique', Maqsood exposed what he describes as a facade of autonomy and a systematically weakened judiciary under the tight control of Islamabad. Maqsood argued that although Pakistan claims PoJK as a self-governed region, the ground reality is one of total subjugation, enabled by the 1974 Interim Constitution, a legal instrument that he said was imposed to strip PoJK of its autonomy. He highlights that 53 out of 56 critical administrative and policy subjects are directly controlled by Pakistan, leaving the local government and judiciary virtually powerless. 'The judiciary in PoJK is a showpiece. It cannot act independently, interpret the constitution freely, or hold the military and intelligence agencies accountable,' Maqsood states in the paper. He also criticised the practice of appointing lent officers from Pakistan, including top bureaucrats, judges, and police officials, who are not answerable to the people of PoJK but instead follow the directives of Islamabad. The paper pointed to Article 257 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which states that the future of Jammu and Kashmir must be decided in accordance with the wishes of its people. Maqsood asserted that by overriding local institutions and installing unelected officials, Pakistan is itself in violation of its constitutional commitments. In his concluding recommendations, Maqsood called for urgent and concrete measures to restore judicial and political autonomy in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of all lent officers from Pakistan who currently hold key administrative and judicial positions in the region. He further urged the repeal or substantial revision of the 1974 Interim Constitution, which he argued serves as the primary instrument of Islamabad's control. Additionally, he advocated for the establishment of an independent judicial commission in PoJK to ensure merit-based appointments and uphold the rule of law. Finally, Maqsood emphasised the need for Pakistan to comply with both Article 257 of its own Constitution and relevant United Nations resolutions to respect the political will and self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He called for the restoration of genuine autonomy, warning that the existing system undermines the credibility of Pakistan internationally and robs the people of PoJK of justice, dignity, and political agency. Jamil Maqsood has long been an outspoken voice from exile, consistently highlighting issues of human rights violations, press censorship, and political repression in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. His latest paper adds legal weight to growing international concerns about Islamabad's policies in these regions. Observers say such criticism from within the diaspora is gaining ground as local media in PoJK remains under tight surveillance and judicial independence continues to erode. (ANI)
