https://arab.news/cjj8s
- The amendment allows for the establishment of constitutional benches to ease burden of cases on judiciary
- Pakistanis often wait for long before their cases are fixed for hearings as the judiciary complains of a lack of judges
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday the 26th constitutional amendment, passed by parliament with two-thirds majority, would prove to be a “milestone” for the country’s political and economic stability and public welfare, Pakistani state media reported.
The statement came a day after the government approved a set of constitutional changes, allowing the formation of constitutional benches, empowering parliament to choose the country’s chief justice from a panel of three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, and setting a Jan. 1, 2028 deadline for the elimination of “Riba” or interest among other things.
While members of PM Sharif’s coalition government have hailed the amendment as a historic development aimed at benefitting the commoners, opposition parties and prominent lawyers have alleged the new legislation aims to curtail the independence of the country’s judiciary.
Speaking at a meeting of the federal cabinet, Sharif noted the 26h Constitutional Amendment was passed after in-depth consultations among the coalition members and with opposition parties in the country, the state-run APP news agency reported.
“The new legislation would surely bring ease for the common man who had to suffer owing to inordinate delays in seeking justice,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the APP.
Pakistani litigants often have to face prolonged delays before their cases are fixed for hearings, while the judiciary has complained in the past of a lack of judges to decide a plethora of pending cases.
At the same time, Pakistani politicians have also complained of judicial overreach into matters of governance, stoking tensions between the judiciary and the legislature.
Speaking further at the meeting, PM Sharif thanked his coalition partners as well as independent candidates for helping the amendment pass with two-thirds majority in both house of parliament.
“The tireless efforts led to the successful legislation which also manifested a true spirit of consultation,” he added.