Aleema Khan, the sister of Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has asserted that the government has a scheme in place to weaken the judiciary. In an interview with the Lahore media, she asserted—without providing any supporting data or documentation—that a constitutional modification is being proposed with the intention of limiting the judiciary and defending the incumbent administration.

Aliema claimed, “There is a plot to take over the judiciary, and this is all being done to protect the government established through Form 47.” In addition, she claimed that the change would give Justice Qazi Faez Isa two extensions, saying, “People are being abducted to finish the numbers game.” The only institution that is still independent is the judiciary.

Earlier, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani said that the pending reforms measure relies on gaining full support and that proposals in the Senate would only pass if the necessary numbers were met.

Yousuf Raza Gilani told the media that the Parliament had the authority to enact legislation and that the specifics of a proposed change would determine whether or not a bill is supported.

He went on to say that passing legislation is a standard procedure in parliament.

Yousuf Raza Gilani reaffirmed his opposition to Governor Rule, saying that choices of this nature ought to be taken only in the most dire situations. Aleema also reaffirmed her brother Imran Khan’s belief in opposing injustice, stating, “Imran Khan has often stated that an oppressive society will not succeed. They are looting the system of justice, and we must stand up to protect it.”

Imran Khan feels that the mandate needs to be returned, she said, emphasising the importance of communication, especially with the armed forces. General Asim Munir is the one having the talk, not the army. It is not appropriate to close the door to discourse.

Aleema also gave PTI chief Ali Amin Gandapur credit for persevering in the face of adversity.

Reforms in the judiciary

In the midst of rumours that legislation to raise the retirement age for judges of superior courts may be introduced, the federal government is getting ready to introduce a full package of judicial changes in parliament, probably in the next two days.

According to well-placed sources, there are at least 22 amendments on the docket that are expected to completely reform the legal system and the procedure for selecting the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. According to sources, the government is planning to unveil these reforms as early as Sunday and has a few tricks up its sleeve.

The main feature of the plan is a new chief justice appointment procedure. The legislative committee and judicial commission may combine under the suggested modifications.

The prime minister would receive a panel of five senior judges, who would have the final word, rather than the senior-most judge being appointed automatically.

According to the government, the current procedure of selecting the senior-most judge promotes lobbying inside the court, enabling the CJ to manipulate the seniority list to favour his preferred successors.

The government aims to stop internal judicial politics by granting the prime minister this decision-making authority. A proposal to permit judge transfers between high courts is also included in the reform package; this would provide the legal system more flexibility.

But there is still a major disagreement on raising the retirement age of judges, and no resolution has been achieved as of yet.

It is reported that all coalition parties agree on the fundamental judicial changes, despite minor differences. It is important to remember that JUI-F president Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that a reform package on judicial concerns will be given due thought if it is offered.

The government is reportedly holding its cards close to the vest. The PPP leadership and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif have discussed the deal in close quarters, but the coalition as a whole has not yet been fully briefed. It seems that in order to maintain the element of surprise, the government is getting ready to present this package to the National Assembly with minimal notice.

Should the reforms be approved, the nation’s judiciary may undergo a profound upheaval, upending long-standing practices and having a long-lasting effect on the relationship between the executive and judicial departments. The National Assembly and Senate met on a holiday, Saturday (today), as part of an unprecedented move by the government on Friday. The hastily convened meeting has provided further rise to speculations that the ruling alliance might introduce judicial reforms or constitutional amendments.

On the one hand, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif supposedly stated that because the administration has reached the “magic number,” it is prepared to present a “constitutional amendment” in the assembly on Saturday. Conversely, it has been stated that Federal Minister for Law and Justice (Retd) Azam Nazir Tarar has refuted the likelihood of the administration pursuing constitutional amendments.

The idea is that the administration will probably amend the constitution in some way, perhaps raising the retirement age for judges, despite the contradicting claims. A decision like this could result in the current Chief Justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) mandate being extended.

On October 25, 2024, CJP Qazi Faez Isa will retire at the age of 65, which is the superannuation age. But Islamabad is all aflutteramid reports that the administration is thinking of raising the retirement age for Supreme Court judges in order to prolong his term.