The Senate chairman has referred a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court judges to the relevant committee following its presentation on Monday.
PPP Senator Abdul Qadir, who introduced the motion, highlighted that the Supreme Court is currently handling a significant number of constitutional cases, which often require larger benches and can overshadow critical taxpayer issues. He noted that there are over 53,000 pending cases, with some waiting up to two years for a hearing, and argued for an increase of 16 judges to manage the growing influx of cases.
Senator Qadir emphasized the urgency of the bill, citing the country’s massive debt and rising population, and called for its approval to expedite case resolution.
Opposition members protested the bill, chanting “No… No…” in the assembly.
In response, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar addressed the judicial system’s pressing issues, including the backlog of death penalty cases and life imprisonment delays. He pointed out that one individual has been in prison for 34 years due to delays in appeals, with death penalty appeals pending since 2015. Tarar also mentioned the Peshawar High Court’s request for 10 additional judges and suggested the bill be reviewed by the committee.
PTI Senator Ali Zafar raised concerns that the proposal to increase judges might be perceived as an “attempt at judicial martial law.” He proposed a modest increase of two judges, with priority given to the lower judiciary if more judges are needed.
Senator Saifullah Abro noted ongoing discussions about increasing Supreme Court judges since the PTI’s decision on reserved seats.
ANP lawmaker Aimal Wali criticized the decision-making process, suggesting that decisions made outside the legislative body lead to such situations. He pointed out media reports speculating about the need for additional judges.
The Senate chairman has sent the bill to the committee for further evaluation.
