Pakistan's Coalition Government Faces Hurdle on Constitutional Amendment

Pakistan’s coalition government postponed introducing a controversial constitutional amendment bill in parliament due to insufficient support. The proposed amendments, which include increasing judges' retirement age and fixing the Chief Justice's tenure, have not been publicly disclosed. Efforts to secure backing from JUI-F's Maulana Fazlur Rehman were unsuccessful, leading to the delay.

Pakistan's coalition government encountered a significant obstacle on Monday, postponing the introduction of a controversial constitutional amendment bill in parliament due to a shortage of required votes.

The amendment proposals, which reportedly include raising the retirement age for judges and establishing a fixed tenure for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, remain undisclosed to the public. Government spokespersons confirmed the deferral but assured the bill would be tabled within weeks.

Efforts to garner support from Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), proved insufficient, hindering the coalition's chances of securing the necessary votes. The delay in passing the bill has sparked criticism from opposition leaders, who accuse the government of attempting to undermine the judiciary without sufficient debate.

(With inputs from agencies.)