The Senate and the National Assembly have passed “The Constitution (Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2024 with a two-third majority.

In the Senate, sixty five members voted in favour of the constitutional amendment and four against it, while in the National Assembly 225 members supported the amendment and 12 opposed.

The constitution amendment envisages introduction of reforms to the appointment process and tenure of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and establishment of constitutional benches at the Supreme Court, with equal representation from all provinces.

It also provides to establish constitutional benches at the high courts.

The senior-most judge of each constitutional bench will serve as its presiding officer.

Under the constitutional amendment, the term for the Chief Justice of Pakistan has been set at three years.

A 12-member parliamentary committee will nominate the new Chief Justice of Pakistan from a panel of the three most senior judges.

The committee, comprising eight members from the National Assembly and four from the Senate, will propose the name to the Prime Minister, who will then forward it to the President for final approval.

Besides, a Judicial Commission of Pakistan, led by the Chief Justice and including three senior judges, two members each from the National Assembly and Senate, the Federal Minister for Law and Justice, the Attorney General, and a nominee of the Pakistan Bar Council, having not less than fifteen years of practice in the Supreme Court, will be responsible for appointments of the judges of the Supreme Court.

The commission will also monitor judges’ performance and report any concerns to the Supreme Judicial Council.

The amendment also included provisions related to the Supreme Judicial Council’s composition, ensuring a diverse and robust judicial structure, with the council consisting of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court and the two most senior Chief Justices of the High Courts.

One of the most significant components of the amendment is the complete eradication of Riba (interest) from the country by January 1, 2028.

The Senate will now meet at 4 pm, while the National Assembly at 5 pm tomorrow.