President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday officially signed the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill into law, following the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
This came after the bill was passed by Parliament, with a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and Senate. The legislation introduces significant judicial reforms, which were met with strong opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which boycotted the voting.
The newly passed reforms set a fixed three-year term for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), who will now be selected by a parliamentary committee. Additionally, the bill establishes new constitutional benches in the Supreme Court and high courts, with the most senior judge serving as the presiding officer of each bench.
The ruling coalition secured 225 votes in the National Assembly and 65 in the Senate to pass the bill, with support from several independent lawmakers and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif swiftly forwarded the bill for the president’s assent, which was initially scheduled for an early morning ceremony but later delayed.
Key aspects of the bill include:
- Fixing the CJP’s tenure at three years.
- Creating constitutional benches in the Supreme Court and high courts, with senior judges presiding.
- A parliamentary committee will select the CJP from a panel of the three most senior judges, with final approval from the president after consultation with the prime minister.
- The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), led by the CJP, will oversee the appointment and performance of judges.
- A complete eradication of Riba (interest) from the country is to be achieved by January 1, 2028.
The passing of this bill marks a significant shift in Pakistan’s judicial structure, despite the PTI’s opposition to the changes.