ISLAMABAD: The Senate of Pakistan on Sunday approved all 22 clauses of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2024, capping the tenure of the country’s top judge at three years among other changes.
Sharif’s administration has been attempting to introduce a set of constitutional changes in parliament since last month which the country’s opposition and legal fraternity argue are aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments. The government denies this.
The appointment of the chief justice of Pakistan will be made by a 12-member parliamentary committee for a period of three years, according to the draft amendment. The top judge will retire upon reaching the age of 65 years.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled the bill in the Senate, according to which a constitutional bench will be established within the Supreme Court, while constitutional benches could also be established in provinces.
“Sixty-five members are in favor of the motion regarding passage of the bill and four members are against it,” Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani said, announcing results of voting on the bill.
“So, the motion is carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the Senate and consequently, the bill stands passed.”
The bill now awaits approval by the National Assembly, after which it will be sent to the president to be signed into law.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate earlier, the law minister said the bill was aimed at providing swift justice to common people.
“It proposes an amendment with regard to constitutional benches in the Supreme Court… and the Judicial Commission of Pakistan will nominate their judges,” he said.
Former premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party has alleged the government is using the amendments to grant an extension in office to incumbent Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, widely seen as aligned with the ruling coalition government. The federal government has rejected Khan’s allegations.
“The political committee of the PTI has decided to boycott the voting process in both houses of parliament,” the PTI said in a statement on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Tarar gave a detailed briefing to the federal cabinet on the 26th constitutional amendment and the cabinet members approved a draft of the amendments proposed by the coalition parties.
“The cabinet took the decision in the wider interest of the country while adhering to the oath of national development and public welfare,” PM Sharif was quoted as saying by his office on the occasion.
“By the grace of Allah, after stability of the country’s economy, a milestone has been achieved for constitutional stability and rule of law in the country.”
The ruling coalition had worked out the draft after “broader consultation” with all political parties and their leaders in parliament as well as with legal representatives, according to Tarar.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally of the Sharif-led coalition government, spearheaded efforts to woo opposition parties and prominent lawyers to accept the controversial amendments.
In a press conference on Saturday night, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Jamiat Ulama-e-Pakistan Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazl-ur-Rehman confirmed “major” disputes between both sides had been resolved after the government had removed some sections of the initial draft on which the opposition had expressed its reservations.
“The government agreed to withdraw all the contentious sections we objected to, paving the way for consensus,” Rehman told reporters. “At this stage, there are no major disputes between us about the amendments, and most of the contentious issues have been resolved.”