The government is set to present its proposed constitutional amendment bill at today’s National Assembly session. Sources indicate the bill will likely appear through a supplementary agenda.
On Saturday, the government announced its decision to establish a constitutional court and amend Article 63-A of the Constitution, which addresses lawmaker defection. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated this plan in the upper house of parliament, asserting that the “Constitutional Bill” aligns with the Charter of Democracy (COD), supported by all major political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The proposal also suggests increasing the retirement age of superior judges by three years. Under the current law, Article 179 mandates that a Supreme Court judge serves until age 65, and Article 195 sets a retirement age of 62 for high court judges.
Read: Govt to Form Constitutional Court, Amend Defection Clause Amid Judicial Reforms
Additionally, the government is contemplating revising the seniority principle to appoint the top judge. Barrister Aqeel Malik, the government’s spokesperson on legal affairs, confirmed these plans during the Geo News program “Naya Pakistan” on Friday. According to Article 175A, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court is traditionally appointed as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) based on seniority.
