Govt plans to increase number of SC judges

Islamabad: The federal government is set to introduce legislation next week aimed at increasing the number of judges in the Supreme Court, the sources familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

The proposed legislation seeks to raise the number of Supreme Court judges to 23. This increase will be facilitated through a private member's bill that will amend the 1997 Act.

The draft bill includes an amendment to Section 2 of the Act, which will allow for the expansion. The government's recommendation proposes raising the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 23, resulting in a total of 22 judges, excluding the Chief Justice.

The bill is expected to be introduced in the National Assembly next week by PML-N lawmaker Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry.

Political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have not yet publicly responded to the government's plan.

However, PTI sources suggest that the move could be challenged in the Supreme Court.

They allege that the government’s actions are politically motivated and aimed at extending the tenure of the current Chief Justice of Pakistan and other officials.