ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s ruling alliance has reportedly accepted proposal from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Fazlur Rehman regarding judicial reforms as it involves rejecting previously considered extension of Chief Justice of Pakistan’s retirement age.
The country’s federal capital saw back to back meetings of top leaders to discuss the proposed reforms and constitutional amendments. The government initially explored extending CJP’s retirement age but reconsidered after Fazl consistently opposed the idea.
Reports in local media said the Sharif-led government decided to abandon the extension plan and instead focus on amending constitution to form a Constitutional Court. This proposal will be presented in cabinet meeting scheduled for today, and it is expected to be introduced in parliament. The chief judge of the proposed Constitutional Court will be selected from current Supreme Court judges.
The government members mentioned Constitutional Court, suggesting a separate court could help manage the significant proportion of constitutional cases handled by the Supreme Court and reduce case backlogs.
Senate and National Assembly will hold their regular sessions today. The proposed constitutional amendment may be introduced as an additional topic during these sessions. The Senate will convene at 4 PM, and the National Assembly will meet at 3 PM.
To secure necessary support for amendment, PM Shehbaz Sharif invited lawmakers to a dinner at the Prime Minister’s House and requested that they remain in Islamabad until Monday.
