Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced that the notification for the new Chief Justice of Pakistan could be issued one or two days before the retirement of the current Chief Justice, Qazi Faez Isa.
“The notification will be issued, InshaAllah. The deadline for the Ministry of Law is October 25,” Tarar stated during a press interaction in Islamabad.
He made this announcement at the moment when the coalition government intensifies efforts to build consensus on the proposed judicial package,
He mentioned that the notification for the oath-taking ceremony for the new Chief Justice will be issued on October 24, following customary practices.
He explained that the early notification for Justice Isa was necessary due to the formation of a caretaker government.
The main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has urged the federal government to name the next Chief Justice promptly, alleging plans to extend Justice Isa’s tenure through judiciary-focused constitutional amendments, which the party opposes.
PTI has expressed support for Justice Mansoor Ali Shah as the next Chief Justice.
Regarding the proposed constitutional amendments, Tarar indicated that the contentious legislation might be passed before or after October 25, the day of Justice Isa’s retirement. “We have formed a sub-committee of legal experts to provide recommendations to the parliamentary committee, and discussions are ongoing on four to five items of the draft amendment,” he noted.
The statement followed a meeting of a special parliamentary committee led by Syed Khursheed Shah from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which includes representatives from all parties to discuss the proposed amendments.
To pass these constitutional amendments, the government requires a two-thirds majority in parliament, currently lacking 13 votes in the National Assembly and nine in the Senate.
The judicial package aims to establish a federal constitutional court and set a three-year tenure for the Chief Justice. Last month, the government attempted to present the amendment bill, but faced strong opposition from both allies and opposition members, prompting a renewed consultation process.
Recently, progress was made when Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed a willingness to support the government’s package with certain conditions. However, following a recent meeting, JUI-F has withdrawn its support for the creation of a separate court for constitutional matters, suggesting instead the formation of a constitutional bench.
