The government is expected to present a constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly (NA) today (Sunday), according to sources cited by Geo News. The bill is likely to be introduced through a supplementary agenda during the NA session at 4 pm, followed by a session in the Senate at 7 pm.
The amendment aims to establish a constitutional court and revise Article 63-A of the Constitution, which pertains to the defection of legislators. Additionally, there are discussions about increasing the retirement age of superior court judges by three years. Currently, Supreme Court judges retire at 65, while High Court judges retire at 62.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the bill aligns with the Charter of Democracy (COD), a political agreement endorsed by major parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The amendment may also address the seniority principle in appointing the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), potentially revising the current rule where the senior-most judge automatically becomes the CJP.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have directed their members to vote in favor of the amendment, ensuring their presence at the session. The NA’s six-point agenda includes calling attention notices and a motion of thanks for President Asif Ali Zardari’s address to the parliament.
In addition, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over a federal cabinet meeting at the Parliament House to finalize the draft of the constitutional amendment.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed optimism that the government will achieve the required numbers for the amendment, emphasizing that the changes aim to restore balance between the judiciary and the parliament, not to extend the tenure of CJP Qazi Faez Isa.
The amendment will also address Article 63-A, which governs party discipline and the disqualification of legislators who defy party directives on key votes. Senator Farooq H. Naik criticized the Supreme Court for overstepping its powers by “rewriting” the Constitution, referencing a recent decision in the Punjab government case.
