Islamabad
The Pakistan government has postponed the presentation of a constitutional amendment bill in parliament due to insufficient support. The bill, which is expected to increase the retirement age of judges and set a fixed tenure for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has not yet been officially discussed or shared publicly.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced that the bill would not be tabled on Monday, citing the need for more preparation. He suggested that the legislation may be introduced within a week or two.
The delay occurred after the government failed to secure the backing of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The coalition government requires 224 votes in the National Assembly and 64 in the Senate to pass the amendment. Currently, the coalition has 213 votes in the National Assembly and 52 in the Senate, making JUI-F’s support crucial.
Rehman has expressed partial support for the amendments but asked for more time to review the proposals. Meanwhile, opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has criticized the government, accusing it of attempting to weaken the judiciary without proper debate.
The government claims that the bill is intended to correct constitutional imbalances, particularly those related to the judiciary and parliament.
