ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly yesterday deferred a motion proposing an increase in the number of judges in the Supreme Court of Pakistan after opposition from PTI’s Barrister Ali Gohar Khan.
The motion, previously tabled in the Senate, is reportedly linked to the potential extension of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire on October 25. Media reports suggest that CJP Isa has expressed disinterest in extension through person-specific legislation but may continue if Parliament decides to extend the retirement age of all superior court judges by three years. Separately, Minister for Water Resources Musadik Malik discussed the Green Carpeto Initiative, which plans to cultivate 800,000 acres of barren land in Punjab and Sindh at a cost of Rs 211 billion. Malik assured that Punjab would use its share of water without affecting other provinces and proposed resolving any confusion through discussion. PPP’s Khursheed Shah suggested forming a committee to assess water requirements for the project.
During the session, several legislative proposals were introduced, including constitutional amendments by Noor Alam. These included a proposal to amend Article 184/3 of the Constitution, mandating that a minimum of nine judges hear public interest cases, with an option for affected parties to appeal within 30 days.
Another bill sought to reserve seats for overseas Pakistanis in the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies, while a separate proposal aimed to ban dual nationality for Supreme Court and High Court judges and bureaucrats, which was opposed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
The National Assembly also passed a resolution urging the government to provide advanced medical facilities in federal capital hospitals and ensure high-quality healthcare for all patients.
Additionally, Minister Malik responded to a notice about changes to water flow and the allocation of land under the Green Pakistan Initiative, affirming that Punjab and Sindh have identified suitable land for the scheme to enhance agricultural production.