Pakistan Plans Major Judicial Reforms Amidst Speculation

The Pakistan government is set to introduce extensive judicial reforms, including changes in the appointment process of the chief justice and raising judges' retirement ages. The reform package, to be presented in Parliament, aims to curb internal politicking and improve judicial flexibility. Despite some disagreements, coalition parties largely support the core reforms.

According to a media report on Saturday, the Pakistan government is gearing up to present a comprehensive judicial reforms package in Parliament, amid speculation about legislation to extend the retirement age of superior court judges.

The Express Tribune reported that with at least 22 amendments on the agenda, these changes aim to overhaul the justice system and redesign the chief justice appointment process. Sources indicate that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government plans to introduce these reforms as early as Sunday.

The proposed changes include merging the parliamentary committee and judicial commission for chief justice appointments. Instead of automatically appointing the senior-most judge, a panel of five senior judges would be sent to the prime minister, who would make the final decision. This measure seeks to reduce internal politicking within the judiciary.

(With inputs from agencies.)