Now, the bill, known as the Constitutional Package, is likely to be passed by the National Assembly to enact it into law.
The bill is legislation proposing a set of constitutional amendments, including the fixture of the chief justice’s term.
The 26th Amendment Bill was earlier introduced in the Senate for enforcing judicial reforms after weeks of political wrangling.
The proposed reforms have been a bone of contention between the government and the opposition, especially the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Senate session
Earlier, Federal Minster for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar informed the Senate session that the government’s allied parties and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) reached a consensus on the draft of the constitutional amendment bill.
Speaking on the floor of the Upper House, the law minister requested Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani to allow him to table the draft of the 26th Amendment Bill.
The minister pleaded with the chairman that the proposed amendments should be tabled in the House as a supplementary agenda. He informed the House that the procedure to appoint judges had been changed in the 18th Amendment.
In response to the criticism from the opposition, the minister said that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa had consistently expressed his lack of interest in extending his tenure as the top judge.
He categorically stated that CJP Isa would retire as scheduled.
In addition, the minister mentioned that one of the draft amendments pertained to the constitutional benches of the apex court.
Tarar stressed the necessity of judicial reforms, saying that without specifically naming anyone, referred to a former chief justice who frequently issued suo moto notices. Furthermore, Tarar remarked, "Our courts sent elected prime ministers home."
He detailed that a constitutional bench would be established within the Supreme Court. He said that the judges would be appointed by the judicial commission, and the commission should have the authority to assess the judges performance.
He gave an overview of the bill, saying, "Constitutional benches will be formed by the commission, and the term of the top court would be limited to three years, with the top judge being selected from the three senior-most judges of the apex court.”
He that the 12-member parliamentary committee, with a two-thirds majority, would appoint the CJP.
In the updated draft, constitutional benches could be established in the provinces. The minister emphasised that the purpose of the bill was to provide prompt and affordable justice to the common man and urged the Upper House to vote in favour of the bill, it was noted.
