ISLAMABAD (News Desk) National Assembly on Monday passed six bills, including one seeking an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges and another related to the extension of the terms of armed services chiefs, amid deafening protest by the opposition.
The Senate also passed the amendment bills. If President Asif Ali Zardari signs off on them, the changes — including to length of tenure (five years instead of three) as well as period of extension and reappointment (five years instead of three) — would apply to all current armed forces chiefs.
The six bills passed included the Supreme Court Number of Judges (Amendment) Bill, 2024
• The Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024
• The Islamabad High Court (Amendment) bill, 2024
• The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2024
• The Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2024
• The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2024
The first bill, related to the increase in the number of top court judges, was presented in the NA by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, who said that the government had proposed increasing the number of judges from 17 to 34.
PTI condemns passage of bills, stages protest
The opposition PTI took a strong exception to the passage of the bills in the NA and continued chanting slogans throughout the session.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, speaking outside the parliament, decried the passage of the bills.
