ISLAMABAD – The amendment bill to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has been introduced in the Senate.
During a meeting chaired by Yusuf Raza Gilani, Senator Abdul Qadir presented the amendment bill, seeking to increase the number of apex court judges to 20. It highlighted that the low number of judges in the Supreme Court is causing delays of years in case hearings. Hundreds of tax-related cases are pending in the courts, and the country is forced to seek aid from abroad to meet its needs.
When the opposition opposed the bill to increase the number of Supreme Court judges, the Law Minister commented that rejecting it without review was not a constructive approach. He noted that a request for ten additional judges had come from the Peshawar government, despite it being led by PTI, and they were willing to grant this request.
Senator Ali Zafar from PTI stated that such bills aim to influence the judiciary. He indicated that Senator Abdul Qadir is being used in this process and expressed willingness to agree to an increase of two judges but not more.
Senator Saifullah Abro pointed out that there is a background motive behind the sudden increase in judges. He suggested that PTI is uncomfortable with decisions from the Supreme Court favoring its seats. He urged respect for court decisions and advised giving respect to the Supreme Court and PTI seats first.
