Pakistan’s Parliament passes Bill to curtail powers of Chief Justice amid Opposition protest
The Hindu
Pakistan’s Parliament passed a Bill to curb the powers of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court regarding suo motu cases and the constitution of benches, in a significant move to rein in the top judiciary amid criticism by the Opposition.
Pakistan's Parliament on March 30 passed a Bill to curb the powers of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court regarding suo motu cases and the constitution of benches, in a significant move to rein in the top judiciary amid criticism by the Opposition.
Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar introduced 'The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023' on Thursday in the Senate, a day after it was passed by the National Assembly — the lower house of the parliament.
There were 60 votes in favour of the Bill and 19 against it. The Bill will now be presented to President Arif Alvi for his assent. If the president does not give his approval within 10 days, it will be deemed to have been given.
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Senators from former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party opposed the Bill in the Senate, saying it was in violation of the Constitution as matters related to the Supreme Court could be dealt with amendments in the Constitution through a one-third majority.
"You cannot change the system of the Supreme court through a law passed by simple majority," Senator Ali Zafar of PTI said during the debate, as he also demanded that the Bill should be sent to a bipartisan Senate committee to discuss it before putting it up for voting.
However, his concerns were overruled and the Bill was passed.
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