Islamabad [Pakistan], November 15 : Journalist Adnan Yaqoob raised concerns over the recent 26th constitutional amendment, claiming that the government's real motive was appointing judges favourable to its interest rather than legal reforms.
In an interview, Yaqoob stated, "The government passed the 26th constitutional amendment act to appoint a chief justice of its own choice. The government toiled hard to pass the amendment in a month."
He condemned the act and highlighted that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party held meetings with PM Shehbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) for urgent passage of the act. According to him, the act hampers judicial independence.
He further added that the act was passed before October 25 to appoint Yahya Afridi, the third-ranking judge in the Supreme Court as chief justice rather than Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.
After assuming the office, Afridi has reconstituted the Practice and Procedure Committee and re-inducted Justice Akhtar into the body.
He lamented, "After critical decisions by Afridi, the government is preparing to introduce the 27th constitutional amendment bill to reform and control the power of the chief justice. This law will reduce the powers of the Supreme Court."
He said that the new chief justice Yahya Afridi has initiated new judicial reforms for efficient and accessible justice. All the judges are on the same page after the arrival of the new chief justice.
He explained that the government wanted to appoint a chief justice of its choice to suppress the appointment of Mansoor Ali Shah but the recent judicial reforms initiated by Yahya Afridi have raised concerns in the mind of the ruling party.
Meanwhile, Amir Nawaz highlighted that the Pakistani community is divided into two perspectives on the 26th Constitutional Amendment Act. A community supports the act but other communities have condemned the act as it is against judicial independence.
The 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill that was passed in the senate, had received pushback from the opposition, mainly from Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party which held various protests alleging that the bill would undermine the judiciary's powers. The bill has 27 clauses and amendments to various articles of the Constitution have been proposed.
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