National assembly delays bill to increase supreme court judges
ISLAMABAD, Sep 03: The National Assembly has postponed the bill proposing an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges. The bill, which aimed to expand the court from 17 to 23 judges, was delayed by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
During the session, PML-N's Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry introduced the bill, arguing that the current number of judges is insufficient to handle the growing backlog of pending cases. The proposed amendment suggests that the Supreme Court should consist of 23 judges, including the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
However, PTI’s Barrister Gohar raised objections, stating that such a bill cannot be introduced as a private member's bill under Article 74 of the Constitution. He emphasized that only the federal government can approve such legislation.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar supported Gohar’s point, noting that the issue of increasing judges has not yet been decided by the government. He mentioned that judicial reforms are a priority for the current administration, and any decision regarding increasing the number of judges is still under consideration.
JUI-F's member, Aliya Kamran, criticized the sudden concern for public interest, comparing it to recent legislative efforts by other parties. In response, Speaker Sadiq humorously noted the timing of these legislative proposals.
Additionally, Noor Alam Khan of JUI-F introduced several other bills, including one to repeal the contempt of court law and amendments to Article 184 related to the Supreme Court's suo motu powers. Khan proposed that decisions on suo motu notices be made by a bench of nine judges and that appeals against such decisions be allowed.
Federal Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also mentioned the Practice and Procedure Bill, noting that while the Supreme Court's regulatory authority was upheld, further amendments could be considered.
The Speaker referred all related bills, including the one to increase the number of judges, to the relevant standing committees for further review.
