ISLAMABAD: The government is preparing to propose a constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of superior court judges, pending the achievement of a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, a source revealed to The News.
According to the source, the government and treasury benches are only three votes short in the Senate to secure the required majority. They have already achieved the two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. The source expressed confidence that the necessary votes would be obtained soon, allowing the amendment to be introduced and passed by parliament.
When approached for confirmation, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar neither confirmed nor denied the development. He stated that he would consult with the law minister but did not provide further details by the time of this report.
The proposed amendment aims to raise the retirement age for Supreme Court judges from 65 to 68 years and for High Court judges from 62 to 65 years. This change would necessitate a constitutional amendment, as stipulated in Articles 179 and 195 of the Constitution, which currently set the retirement ages for these judges.
Earlier this year, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar indicated that the government was considering a general increase in retirement ages, including for judges.
On May 7, Attaullah Tarar dismissed suggestions that the extension was intended to benefit any specific institution, emphasizing that any extension would be applied broadly if approved.
Despite these discussions, the government has denied any plans to extend the tenure of the Chief Justice specifically.
A recent Supreme Court press release clarified that while the Chief Justice was approached about a potential extension, he stated that any such proposal would not be acceptable if it was individual-specific.
The government’s actions and the ongoing speculation underscore the contentious nature of this proposed constitutional change and its implications for the judiciary.
