Following multiple delays and much controversy, the Senate has successfully passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2024, with members voting in favor of 22 clauses. The bill, widely referred to as the “Constitutional Package,” introduces key amendments, including a fixed term for the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
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The bill was presented in the Senate by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar after being approved earlier by the federal cabinet, which stressed that the legislation was crucial for national development and public welfare. Tarar emphasized during a Senate session that the bill is meant to streamline the judicial process, including forming a new judicial commission to evaluate and appoint judges to higher courts.
The PTI, led by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, opted to boycott the vote, despite expressing no objections to the draft bill. The party cited concerns over how the bill was processed and alleged harassment of its members as reasons for abstaining from voting.
Despite the PTI’s boycott, coalition partners, including PPP and JUI-F, expressed their determination to proceed with the bill. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari emphasized the importance of moving forward, with or without PTI support. JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman acknowledged the PTI’s right to boycott but maintained that a consensus had been reached.
The passage of the bill has garnered mixed reactions, with PTI leaders decrying it as an attack on judicial independence, while PPP members hailed it as the fulfillment of a long-standing promise of reform. The political landscape remains tense as the new amendments take shape
