Govt's proposed constitutional amendments surface

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N-led coalition government has revealed the proposed constitutional amendments regarding the formation of a Constitutional Court and its composition, ARY News reported.

According to the proposed amendments, the new court will comprise seven members, including the Chief Justice, and will have the power to make binding decisions. The Chief Justice will appointed by retired senior judge, and the court will also include the Law Minister, Attorney General, and a representative from the Pakistan Bar Council.

The government and opposition will each nominate two members from both houses, and provincial courts will have a similar composition.

The proposed amendments also set eligibility criteria for judges, including a minimum age of 40, three years of court experience, and 10 years of legal practice.

A Federal Constitutional Council will be established for the removal of judges, with the President giving final approval.

The Federal Constitutional Court’s decisions will be binding and non-appealable, whereas appeals against provincial constitutional courts’ decisions can be made to the Federal Court.

On the other side, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will be appointed through an eight-member parliamentary committee, selected from among the three senior-most judges.

Earlier, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui announced that two key parties have submitted draft proposals for the constitutional amendments, paving the way for a potential consensus with Maulana Fazlur Rehman’ s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and other parties.

He emphasized the importance of unity in passing constitutional amendments for the national interest.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui has reaffirmed that the proposed constitutional amendments are not tailored to benefit any specific individual,  Instead, they aim to bring about meaningful reforms to Pakistan’s constitution.