NA approves bill to increase number of Supreme Court, IHC judges

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved two bills — Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Amendment Ordinance 2024, and the Islamabad High Court Amendment Bill 2024 — raising the number judges in the apex court and the high court.

NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq Speaker chaired the session. As soon as the session kicked off, Law Minister Azam Tarar moved the bill seeking to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court.

The bill was approved by National Assembly after it was approved by the federal cabinet.

During the National Assembly session, the law minister first moved to suspend the question-hour, allowing the assembly to proceed with the bill.

Tarar then introduced the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Amendment Ordinance 2024, proposing an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges to 34 and Islamabad High Court Amendment Bill 2024, proposing the high court judges to 12.

The motions was passed with a majority vote.

Also read: SC Practice and Procedure Amendment bill seeks oversight on public interest cases

Amid opposition protests and slogans, the minister briefed the assembly on the bill, noting the growing backlog of thousands of pending cases in the Supreme Court and the pressing need for judges’ expansion.

The National Assembly approved three key bills amending the Pakistan Army Act 2024, Pakistan Air Force Act 2024, and Pakistan Navy Act 2024.

The amendment to the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, seeks a fixed five-year tenure for all service chiefs to five years, aiming to bring uniformity to the leadership terms across the military branches.

According to the statement of objects and reasons for the amendments, “The purpose of these amendments is to make consistent the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 … The Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961 … and The Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953 … with the maximum tenure of the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff and to make consequential amendments for uniformity in the aforementioned laws.”

The National Assembly was adjourned until 11 am tomorrow.