Bill tabled in Senate for increasing number of Supreme Court judges

ISLAMABAD: An amendment bill to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) was presented in the Senate.

During the meeting presided over by Yusuf Raza Gilani, Senator Abdul Qadir presented an amendment bill demanding to increase the number of judges of the Supreme Court to 20. It highlighted that the low number of judges in the Supreme Court has led to years of hearing cases. causing delay. Hundreds of tax-related cases are pending in the courts and the country is forced to seek foreign aid to meet its needs.

When the opposition opposed the bill to increase the number of Supreme Court judges, the law minister commented that rejecting it without revision was not a constructive approach. He said that there was a request from the Peshawar government for ten additional judges, though it was led by the PTI, and he was ready to accept the request.

PTI Senator Ali Zafar said that the purpose of such bills is to influence the judiciary. He indicated that Senator Abdul Qadir was being used in the process and agreed to the addition of two judges but not more.

Senator Saifullah Abro pointed out that there is a background motivation behind the sudden increase in judges. He suggested that the PTI was unhappy with the decisions of the Supreme Court in favor of its seats. He stressed on respect for court decisions and advised to respect the seats of Supreme Court and PTI first.