ISLAMABAD – Only a few hours remain until the name of the new Chief Justice is submitted after the implementation of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Yesterday, the Senate and National Assembly approved the 26th Amendment, which has now officially become part of the Constitution after being signed by the President today.
Following this amendment, the Chief Justice will be appointed three days in advance, and 35 hours remain to submit the name for the appointment.
According to the 26th Amendment, the current Chief Justice of Pakistan must submit three names to the constitutional committee by midnight on October 22.
Under Article 175A(3) of the Constitution, the Chief Justice sends the names of three senior judges to the parliamentary committee, which appoints one judge from these names.
After the approval of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the senior-most judge will no longer be the automatic choice for the Chief Justice. Instead, the Chief Justice will be selected from three senior judges.
The 12-member parliamentary committee will decide the name of the Chief Justice by a two-thirds majority. The committee will then send the name to the Prime Minister, who will forward it to the President for approval.
According to the 26th Amendment, if one of the three senior judges declines, the next senior judge will be considered. The tenure of the Chief Justice will be three years or until the retirement age of 65.
Pakistan Constitutional Amendments signed into law by President Asif Zardari
