ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said on Monday a proposed judicial legislation to reportedly extend retirement age of top court judges among other things would be in “greater good” of the masses, with the opposition criticizing the intended constitutional amendment.
The coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is planning to get a constitutional amendment passed from parliament to allegedly give an extended term to the country’s top judge. The amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, which are currently in session.
Pakistan’s main opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has criticized the move and alleges that it is designed to favor the country’s top judge. Former PM Imran Khan, the PTI founder, this week warned of countrywide protests if the amendment was approved.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the presentation of the amendment before the cabinet, Tarar said judicial reforms were essential to provide speedy justice to the masses and any legislation would be made in collective interest of the nation.
“We are positive about the number game,” he said. “It’s not going to be a person-specific or individual-specific legislation. Whatever is going to happen will be in greater good of the people. It would be to benefit the people, the nation.”
Tarar said it took the courts decades to resolve the cases and measures needed to be taken to ensure speedy justice. Many times, the cause list is not issued, notices are not issued and orders are issued, there should be a balanced system,” he said.
On Saturday, PM Sharif said parliament was the “supreme institution” through which important matters should be resolved.
“To ensure the sanctity of the parliament is maintained, it is necessary that legislation in the national and public’s interest takes place,” Sharif’s office quoted him as saying at a dinner for legislators on Saturday night.
Sharif’s weak coalition government is trying to muster support of enough lawmakers for a two-thirds majority to get the constitutional amendment passed, fearing it can lose a portion of its existing number of seats after an earlier ruling by the Supreme Court on reserved parliamentary seats for women and minorities.
In a verdict on July 12, a 13-member bench of the court declared the PTI eligible for the reserved seats after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) forced the party’s candidates to contest the Feb. 8 polls as independents.
The ECP took the decision after the PTI lost its election symbol in the wake of a prolonged legal battle for not holding proper intra-party polls. Subsequently, the election body refused the reserved seats to the PTI on technical grounds, saying they were only meant for political parties instead of independent candidates.
The Supreme Court overturned the ECP decision, saying it had misconstrued an earlier verdict related to the election symbol by depriving the PTI of the reserved seats. Instead of giving the seats to the party, however, the election body filed a petition, seeking guidance on the matter and questioning the validity of the party’s organizational structure under the circumstances.
In a short order on Saturday, the apex court censured the election regulatory authority for its “dilatory tactics” to avoid the implementation of the judgment.
As per the official tally, the ruling coalition is short of at least 13 lawmakers in the National Assembly and nine in the Senate to gain the required two-thirds majority.