ISLAMABAD: Amid widespread rumors of possible extensions for Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Army Chief General Asim Munir, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, on Monday called on the government to immediately announce the name of the next chief justice.
Speaking in the house, Ayub emphasized the urgency of the situation and warned of strong opposition if any legislation were to be introduced to extend the terms. Chief Justice Isa is set to retire on October 25.
In response, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reassured the assembly that the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court would be conducted according to the Constitution, with the most senior judge assuming the role. He also noted that such constitutional provisions do not apply to the appointment of high court chief justices, citing the recent appointment of the Lahore High Court chief justice as an example.
Earlier, the National Assembly’s business advisory committee discussed a proposal to convene a joint session of parliament next week. While Law Minister Tarar clarified that constitutional amendments could not be passed in a joint sitting, sources within the ruling coalition hinted at possible amendments, potentially related to a uniform extension in the retirement age for superior court judges.
During the session, Omar Ayub thanked Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for issuing production orders for Haji Imtiaz Chaudhry, allowing him to attend the session. Ayub also condemned recent terrorist activities in Punjab’s Katcha area and called for the dismissal of the Punjab police chief. Additionally, he announced that the PTI would hold a grand public rally on September 8, regardless of the circumstances.
The PTI lawmakers later staged a walkout to protest the speaker’s refusal to allow Asad Qaiser to speak.
Passage of Local Government Bill: The National Assembly passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2024, a move seen by many as an attempt to further delay the already-postponed local government elections in the federal capital. The bill is expected to pass in the Senate and become law following the president’s formal assent.
Other Legislative and Parliamentary Developments: During the question hour, the National Assembly was informed about the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) efforts to enhance public access to the internet. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar noted that the PTA has allowed the use of the six gigahertz spectrum band for unlicensed Radio Local Area Network operations, facilitating the deployment of next-generation Wifi technology across Pakistan. The PTA has also developed a telecom infrastructure-sharing framework to support the growth and sustainability of the telecom sector.
Gwadar Airport Project: Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif informed the house that the New Gwadar International Airport project is complete, with operations expected to commence by the end of this year.
Several reports from various standing committees of the National Assembly were also presented, including those on “The State vs. Mubarak Ahmad Sani and another,” “The Establishment of Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal Bill 2024,” “The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024,” “The Apostille Bill 2024,” and “The Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024.”
