ISLAMABAD, Oct 21 (APP): After the Senate passed the 26th Constitution Amendment Bill 2024 with a two-thirds majority, a session of the National Assembly (NA) is now underway to pass the bill.
The bill, which was approved by the federal cabinet on Sunday with the consensus of the government’s coalition partners, was presented in the in the House by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. The 65 lawmakers voted in the favor of the amendments in the Upper House while four voted against the amendments in the House.
The minister said that today was the historic day in the country. He said that setting up constitutional court was part of Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in 2006. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto also took up the matter which was pending agenda part of the CoD, he added.
He credited Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his efforts in uniting the coalition and opposition parties, including JUI, through extensive consultations.
The federal minister said, under the new amendment, the term for the Chief Justice of Pakistan has been set at three years. A 12-member parliamentary committee will select the new Chief Justice from a panel of the three most senior judges. This committee, consisting of eight members from the National Assembly and four from the Senate, will propose the name to the Prime Minister, who will then forward it to the President for final approval.
In addition, a Judicial Commission of Pakistan, led by the Chief Justice and including three senior judges, two members each from the National Assembly and Senate, the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, the Attorney General and a legal expert with at least 15 years of Supreme Court experience, will oversee judicial appointments.
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