The government is set to present a proposed constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly during a session scheduled for Sunday (today). The bill is expected to be introduced through a supplementary agenda and includes amendments to key articles of the Constitution. The amendments focus on forming a constitutional court and modifying Article 63-A, which addresses lawmakers’ defection.
Additionally, the government aims to amend Articles 215 and 217 to allow the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to continue in office after retirement, which is due in four months, until a successor is appointed. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed this plan in the Senate, stating that the “Constitutional Bill” aligns with the Charter of Democracy (COD) supported by all political parties, including PTI.
The proposal also includes increasing the retirement age of superior court judges by three years. Currently, Article 179 sets the retirement age for Supreme Court judges at 65, while Article 195 establishes the retirement age for high court judges at 62.
Furthermore, the government is considering revising the seniority principle for appointing the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). At present, under Article 175A, the most senior Supreme Court judge is appointed as the CJP based on seniority, but this principle may be re-evaluated, as confirmed by the government’s legal spokesperson Barrister Aqeel Malik on media.
