ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate on Sunday evening started deliberating on the 26th constitutional amendment bill, which was earlier passed by the federal cabinet.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the draft, which proposes significant changes, including limiting the chief justice’s term and curbing the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers. Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani is chairing the session of the Upper House of the Parliament. Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl senators are participating in the legislation process a amidst a boycotte of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which earlied said that it will not take part in the constitutional amendment process in both the National Assembly and Senate.
Following a special meeting of its political committee, the PTI made clear not to participate in the legislation process.
The Upper House of the Parliament is likely to approve the bill as the government has garnered the required numbers to pass the legislation with a two-thirds majority.
The amendment proposes setting the chief justice’s tenure at three years and allowing the prime minister to appoint the next chief justice from the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court.
“The chief justice of Pakistan shall be appointed on the recommendation of a special parliamentary committee from among the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court,” the amendment states. The committee will forward its nominee to the prime minister, who will then submit the name to the president for formal appointment.
The special parliamentary committee will consist of 12 members — eight from the National Assembly and four from the Senate. Party representation will be proportional to their strength in parliament, with members nominated by their respective parliamentary leaders.
The draft was earlier approved by a parliamentary committee headed by Pakistan People’s Party MNA Syed Khurshid Shah. The federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also endorsed the bill after a detailed briefing by the law minister.