The bill has 27 clauses and amenedments to various Articles of the constitutions have been proposed….reports Asian Lite News
The Pakistan Senate passed the 26th constitutional Amendment Bill with a two-thirds majority on Sunday, Ary News reported.
The bill aimed at ensuring quick justice had received push back from opposition, mainly from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf which held various protests alleging that the bill would undermine the judiciary’s powers.
As per Ary News, Minister of Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the bill in the Senate which received 65 votes in its favour. Four members voted against the bill.
The bill has 27 clauses and amenedments to various Articles of the constitutions have been proposed. The amendment suggested by Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has been incorporated. JUI-F earlier protested against the bill but was later convinced by the ruling government.
The bill will now be presented at the Pakistan National Assembly.
Earlier, the bill was approved by the federal Cabinet on Sunday during a meeting presided over by the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as per ARY News.
Prior to this, the prime minister updated the cabinet on his meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari.
Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif and President Zardari had a crucial discussion prior to the cabinet meeting and the meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, ARY News reported.
The meeting deliberated on the ultimate plan for enacting the package of amendments.
As per ARY News, the ruling coalition is resolved to approve the constitutional modification today at all costs, citing sources.
Following the cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister said that the decision was made in the best interests of the country for public welfare and prosperity.
“After economic stability, a milestone has been achieved for constitutional stability and the rule of law,” Shehbaz Sharif said.
“We will continue to work hard for national development, prosperity and stability as promised to the people,” he said.
PTI senator slams bill
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senator Syed Ali Zafar during the Senate session, in which the 26th Amendment Bill was passed, slammed the government over control on the “Constitutional Bench,” saying that the government could place its own judges in critical judicial positions, Ary News reported.
PTI’s Zafar said that the Constitutional Bench would grant the government greater influence over the judges’ selection process.
He said that with government control over the Constitutional Bench, the government now has the power to bypass the official process of electing a Chief Justice and can give preference to its judges.
He warned that in the coming days, the nation would witness the government stacking the bench with its chosen judges, compromising judicial independence, Ary News reported.
Zafar further asserted that the amendment should serve people but criticised parliamentarians that they hadn’t read the bill, as per Ary News. (ANI)
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