ISLAMABAD: The current government plans to introduce several new pieces of legislation in the National Assembly today. These laws could have major implications for the future of the judiciary in Pakistan.
Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar will present the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024. This move is mandated by Article 89(2) of the Constitution. It aims to reform the legal framework and provide quicker justice.
Under this Article, any ordinance laid before the National Assembly is treated as a bill. The same ordinance was also introduced in the Senate last Friday and sent to the House’s standing committee. The session of the lower house, originally set for 5 PM today, has been moved up to 4 PM.
The president issued the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Amendment Ordinance, 2024 on September 20. This amendment changes the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023. It states that all cases before the Supreme Court will be handled by a bench made up of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the next most senior judge, and another judge chosen by the Chief Justice.
Recently retired Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa updated the judges’ committee, replacing Justice Munib Akhtar with Justice Aminuddin Khan. However, new Chief Justice Justice Yahya Afridi reinstated Justice Akhtar after taking office, removing Justice Aminuddin from the committee.
In addition, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration plans to present the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2024. This bill seeks to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2024, and will also be discussed today. Law Minister Tarar had previously introduced this bill on Friday. If passed, it would allow security agencies to detain suspects for up to six months on counter-terrorism charges.
Another proposal expected to be tabled is the Supreme Court (number of judges) (amendment) bill, 2024. This bill aims to increase the number of judges from 17 to 25. It was introduced as a private member bill by independent Senator Abdul Qadar.
During a television interview on Sunday, Barrister Aqeel Malik from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stated that three bills will be brought before the National Assembly today. He acknowledged that there are many misconceptions surrounding the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Malik stressed that the legislation is not intended to target any political party. He emphasized that this bill is designed to effectively address issues related to terrorism and threats to national security.
