Islamabad (Web Desk): The Senate Standing Committee on Justice has given the green light to a bill that will increase the number of Supreme Court (SC) judges from 17 to 25.
This decision was made despite opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI).
During a meeting of the committee led by Senator Farooq H. Naek, Senator Abdul Qadir argued that rising population and crime rates have resulted in a backlog of cases that often take years to resolve.
He noted that the number of judges has not changed since the 1990s, even though the caseload has significantly increased.
Senator Kamran Murtaza pointed out that many high court positions remain unfilled, which contributes to delays.
While he acknowledged that the Supreme Court has recently ramped up its case hearings, he highlighted the ongoing challenges.
On the other hand, Senator Hamid Khan opposed the increase, likening Pakistan’s Supreme Court to India’s, which has 34 judges.
He attributed delays to internal court conflicts rather than a lack of judges and suggested that any expansion should involve consultations with the judiciary.
Senator Anusha Rahman raised financial concerns, questioning the government’s payment of utility bills and pensions for retired judges.
Khan echoed fears that increasing the number of judges might allow the government to exert undue influence over the judiciary.
Despite these concerns, the committee approved the bill, which establishes a total of 25 Supreme Court judges, including one Chief Justice.