The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice approved a bill on Friday to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 25. This decision faced opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
PPP Senator Farooq Hamid Naek led the committee meeting, where Senator Abdul Qadir presented the bill. Senator Qadir emphasized the necessity of this increase, pointing to the rising population and crime rates in Pakistan.
He mentioned that cases can often span two generations, yet the number of judges has not changed since the 1990s, despite the growing caseload in the higher judiciary.
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza noted that there are vacant judge positions in the high courts and highlighted that before October 25, the Supreme Court faced delays, with over 30 cases being heard daily.
Senator Hamid Khan from the Sunni Ittehad Council argued that India, which is six times larger than Pakistan, has only 34 judges in its Supreme Court. He attributed case resolution delays to internal disputes among the Supreme Court judges, suggesting that there’s no need to increase their number.
PML-N Senator Anusha Rahman raised concerns about utility bills, stating that Parliament members pay their own bills while the government covers those of higher judiciary judges. She questioned why resigned judges continue to receive pensions.
Senator Khan argued that the 26th Constitutional Amendment has harmed the judiciary, suggesting that governments increase the number of judges to exert control, which he believes is harmful.
Senator Murtaza alleged divisions within the Supreme Court and claimed the government aims to shift power balance from majority to minority. However, Senator Qadir refuted this, asserting that the Supreme Court remains united without factions.
After discussion, the Senate panel approved the bill to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court. The new structure will include one Chief Justice of Pakistan and 24 additional judges. However, PTI and JUI-F senators expressed their concerns about the implications of this change.
