The coalition government on Sunday finally powered the disputed 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2024, through the Senate, capping the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) tenure at three years, despite opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The bill was tabled hours after the federal cabinet approved the draft amendments after hanging in balance for weeks. The House voted 65-4 to approve the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill with the required two-thirds majority.
The political leaders continued to hold consultations on the constitutional tweaks till late Saturday night, with uncertainty regarding the tabling of the draft due to severe opposition from the PTI.
The coalition government was initially set to present the legislation yesterday but decided to defer it at the request of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman who said that his party would be able to cast its votes in favor of the 26th constitutional amendment after receiving a response from the PTI.
The former ruling party has time again expressed concerns over the prospective judiciary-oriented legislation provisioning a fixed three-year term of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), establishment of constitutional benches, restructuring of the Supreme Judicial Council, and the formation of a Special Parliamentary Committee which will suggest names from amongst the three most senior judges of the apex court for the CJP’s appointment.
