By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Senate introduced a bill on Monday to increase the number of Supreme Court judges to 20, excluding the chief justice, to tackle the growing backlog of cases.
The proposed legislation, aimed at amending the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1997, seeks to raise the number of top court judges from 17 to 21.
Independent Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir, who tabled the bill, cited over 53,000 pending cases and the need for “speedy justice” for the people. “The present number of judges is insufficient to cope with the ever-increasing workload,” Qadir said.
“We cannot delay justice for the people… We need to take immediate action to increase the number of judges.”
The bill reads that the Supreme Court has four jurisdictions – original, appellate, advisory, and review – being diverse and demanding, contributing to the continuous accumulation of cases.
“With economic growth and social changes, the complexity and variety of cases have increased… This backlog, combined with the complexities of integrating the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, necessitates more judicial resources.”
The law minister, Azam Nazeer Tarar, supported the bill, suggesting it be referred to the relevant committee.
However, opposition senators, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Syed Ali Zafar, opposed the move, terming it an “attempt to impose judicial martial law”.
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan vowed to resist any amendments to the judiciary.
“None of our MNAs or senators will vote in favor of the proposed amendments. Every MNA has been individually instructed in this regard, in light of Article 63 of the Constitution,” Gohar told reporters.
Separately, Law Minister Tarar said Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa does not want an extension in his tenure, dismissing speculation about a possible extension through legislative changes.
“There is no truth in speculation about an extension in the tenure of the chief justice,” Tarar said in Islamabad. “The chief justice has clearly told me and the attorney general that he doesn’t want an extension.”
Isa is set to retire in October, and Tarar said the principle of seniority would guide the appointment of a new chief justice, with Senior Puisne Judge Mansoor Ali Shah next in line.
The government has repeatedly denied reports of a possible extension, which would require amendments to the Constitution and a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament.
Experts say such an amendment would be challenging, given the current political landscape, after a recent Supreme Court verdict on reserved seats favored the PTI party.
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