The government has initiated steps to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 23, with sources revealing that an official bill will be introduced in the National Assembly soon in this regard.
According to sources, after the private bill, an official bill to increase the number of judges will be tabled soon. They said the official bill to amend the current structure of the Supreme Court is expected to be presented in the National Assembly session on Friday. A private bill has already been tabled by PML-N's Daniyal Chaudhry on Private Members’ Day.
According to the proposed bill, the total count of Supreme Court judges, including the chief justice, will go up to 23. Discussions are also reportedly underway to finalize additional amendments to the Supreme Court’s Practice and Procedure Act.
In light of this development, the National Assembly session, initially scheduled to conclude today as per the revised schedules, has been extended until Friday to facilitate the bill's tabling.
On Monday, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar had firmly dismissed any speculation regarding the introduction of the 27th constitutional amendment.
Also Read: Govt dismisses speculation over 27th constitutional amendment
In a conversation with Samaa TV, he stated, "The 27th constitutional amendment is merely speculation at this time. There are no new constitutional amendments in the pipeline."
Tarar highlighted the government's commitment to implementing the already approved 26th amendment, asserting that it will yield positive results for the nation. "The 26th amendment has been enacted, and its implementation is our focus," he added.
Earlier that day, the government decided to maintain the special parliamentary committee to oversee discussions on potential constitutional amendments and to ensure parliamentary stability.
Sources within the government indicated that future decisions regarding proposed amendments, including the 27th, would ultimately lie with this committee, which was tasked with finalising proposals.
The government aims to engage all political parties in discussions surrounding constitutional matters. Ongoing consultations among coalition partners, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), are expected to continue, with a commitment to build consensus across the political spectrum.
