National Assembly Postpones Bill to Increase Number of Supreme Court Judges

Islamabad: The National Assembly has postponed the bill proposing an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges. During the session chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, a focus notice was raised by Naveed Qamar concerning 4.8 million acres of land allocated for corporate farming and changes in water flow.
Minister for Water Resources, Mushahidullah Khan, responded that under the Green Carpet Initiative, 800,000 acres of barren land are being converted into arable land as part of a 211 billion rupee project, involving 296 kilometers of canal construction. This project is a collaborative effort between Punjab and Sindh, with Punjab providing the necessary water resources without drawing from other provinces.
Naveed Qamar expressed concerns that Pakistan cannot sustain such projects, while Mushahidullah Khan offered to address any confusion through discussion, suggesting that if Sindh has any issues, they can reclaim the land. Syed Khurshid Shah highlighted the sensitivity of the issue, proposing the formation of a committee to assess the water requirements for the proposed 4.8 million acres and to decide whether to prioritize the land or the nation’s water needs.
In response to queries about regional tensions and separatist sentiments, Mushahidullah Khan asserted that the ruling party in Sindh will prevent such issues.
JUI-F MNA Noor Alam Khan introduced a constitutional amendment bill concerning Article 184/3 of the Constitution, proposing that public interest cases be heard by a minimum of nine judges in the Supreme Court. The bill also allows affected parties to appeal within 30 days, with the appeal being heard by a larger bench. This amendment aims to address the misuse of Article 184/3 in the past.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar cautioned against detailing too many specifics in the Constitution, which might lead to complications. Noor Alam Khan also presented bills for allocating reserved seats to overseas Pakistanis in the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies, and for imposing a ban on dual citizenship for Supreme Court and High Court judges as well as bureaucrats.
Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar revealed that the Establishment Division has directed against these bills, asserting that dual citizenship is not permissible for military and parliamentary positions.
Noor Alam Khan also introduced the Contempt of Court (Repeal) Bill 2024, proposing the repeal or amendment of contempt of court laws. Barrister Gohar opposed, arguing that if the judiciary cannot enforce its own orders, who can?
Additionally, PML-N’s Daniyal Chaudhry requested to present a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 23. Barrister Gohar challenged the procedural validity of the private member’s bill, stating that such legislation requires cabinet and government approval. Consequently, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq postponed the motion to present the bill on increasing the number of judges.