ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Justice has approved a bill proposing an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 25.
Despite opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), the bill passed successfully.
During the committee meeting, chaired by Senator Farooq H. Naek, Senator Abdul Qadir presented the bill. He argued that the rising population and crime rates have led to an overwhelming backlog of cases, often taking decades to resolve.
Qadir emphasized that the number of Supreme Court judges has remained the same since the 1990s, despite a substantial increase in caseloads.
Senator Kamran Murtaza pointed out that many seats in the high courts remain vacant and noted that Supreme Court proceedings were slow until October 25, although recently, the court has been hearing more than 30 cases per day.
However, Senator Hamid Khan opposed the bill, comparing Pakistan’s Supreme Court to India’s, where the number of judges stands at 34. Khan attributed delays in cases to internal conflicts within the court and argued against increasing the number of judges, suggesting that the judiciary itself should be consulted on the matter.
Senator Anusha Rahman raised financial concerns, questioning why utility bills for Supreme Court judges are covered by the government and why pensions continue to be paid to retired judges. Khan further contended that the 26th Amendment weakened the judiciary, suggesting that increasing the number of judges could be perceived as an attempt by the government to influence the judiciary.
Senator Kamran Murtaza of JUI expressed similar concerns, saying the government might use the increased majority in the judiciary to sway decisions.
Despite these objections, the committee passed the bill. The approved proposal stipulates a total of 25 Supreme Court judges, including one Chief Justice.
