Pakistan parliament adjourned without tabling history-making constitutional amendments on judicial reforms

Short Url
Updated 15 September 2024
Follow

Pakistan parliament adjourned without tabling history-making constitutional amendments on judicial reforms

  • Amendments include extending tenure of superior judges by three years, changing process of CJ’s appointment
  • PTI party has called judicial reforms package ‘attack’ on judiciary, threatened nationwide protests if amendments passed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s parliament was adjourned on Sunday without the tabling of a history-making ‘constitutional amendment package’ that is expected to increase the retirement age of superior judges by three years and change the process by which the Supreme Court chief justice is appointed.
The package of reforms, widely believed to include as many as 22 amendments to the constitution, has raised widespread concerns among opposition parties and independent experts who say the moves are aimed at increasing the government’s power in making key judicial appointments and dealing with the defection of lawmakers during house votes.
Ahead of the parliamentary session, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, a senior member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party, told reporters the government had the 224 votes, two-thirds majority, needed to pass the amendment. He also refuted reports that the amendment was being introduced to grant an extension to Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, widely believed to be aligned with the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and in opposition to its chief rival, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former PM Imran Khan, who has threatened nationwide protests against the reforms.
Close to midnight on Sunday, Asif spoke to reporters after the National Assembly session was adjourned, saying the required numbers for the constitutional amendment had not been achieved.
“That is why the session is adjourned,” he told the media. “The government is engaged with political parties to develop consensus.”
Asif admitted that Fazl-ur-Rehman, president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUIF), had not agreed to the government’s proposals.
“We have made it clear that we need to properly read the draft [amendment] and deliberate on it before supporting it and we were not given the draft,” JUIF’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri told reporters.
“Now after the parliamentary committee meeting, we will deliberate on this in our party and then decide on the future course.”
Earlier, the government had assured that the amendments were not meant to be “person-specific or individual-specific legislation.”
“Whatever is going to happen will be for the greater good of the people. It would be to benefit the people, the nation,” Information Minister Ataullah Tarar told reporters. 
PM Sharif’s office quoted him as saying at a dinner for legislators on Saturday night that the legislation would be passed “in the national and public’s interest” and to “ensure the sanctity of parliament.”
AMENDMENTS
The coalition government is proposing that the retirement age of superior judges be increased by three years. Currently, Article 179 of the Constitution envisages that a judge of the Supreme Court shall hold office until he attains the age of retirement of 65 years, whereas Article 195 of the Constitution says that a judge of a high court shall hold office until he attains the age of 62 years. The current chief justice retires on Oct. 25.
The government is also mulling revising the seniority principle in the appointment of the top judge, the coalition government’s spokesperson on legal affairs Aqeel Malik told media this week.
At present, according to Article 175A of the Constitution, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court is appointed as the chief justice on the basis of the principle of seniority, but there are widespread reports that the constitutional amendment envisions a five-member panel comprising top court judges as responsible for appointing the chief justice.
The reform package also includes a proposal to allow the transfers of judges from one high court to another and changes to Article 63-A of the Constitution, which relates to the disqualification of legislators who cross party lines in voting for a constitutional amendment.
“If passed, the reforms could mark a seismic shift in the country’s judiciary, shaking up long-established procedures and leaving a lasting impact on how the judicial and executive branches interact,” Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper said in a news analysis.
In an interaction with reporters, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan said the constitutional package was an “attack” on the judiciary and its freedom.

“We believe the government is adopting an unconstitutional process,” he said. “Primarily, every aspect of the state needs to be independent, especially the judiciary, it cannot be compromised, … If there is any attempt to do this to the judiciary, we will strongly condemn it.”
RESERVED SEATS
The amendments have been proposed after a string of Supreme Court judgments that have ostensibly challenged Sharif’s coalition government, mostly notably a July 12 verdict by a 13-member bench of the Supreme Court that declared the PTI eligible for reserved parliamentary seats.
The verdict dealt a major blow to Sharif’s weak ruling coalition, which may lose its two-thirds majority in Pakistan’s parliament if the verdict is implemented. Sharif’s PML-N party has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the verdict.
PTI candidates contested the Feb. 8 general elections as independents after the party was barred from polls on the technical grounds that it did not hold genuine intra-party polls, which is a legal requirement.
Subsequently, the PTI-backed candidates won the most seats in the election, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled independents were ineligible for their share of 70 reserved seats — 60 for women, 10 for non-Muslims. The reserved seats were then distributed among other parties, mostly those in the ruling coalition, a decision Khan allies contested in the court.
Reserved parliamentary seats for women and minorities are allocated in Pakistan in proportion to the number of seats a political party wins in general elections. This completes the National Assembly’s total 336 seats.
A simple majority in Pakistan’s parliament is 169 seats.


Pakistan announces $62 billion budget 2025-26, raises defense spending by 20% to $9 billion

Updated 3 min 39 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan announces $62 billion budget 2025-26, raises defense spending by 20% to $9 billion

  • Rs17.57 trillion ($62 billion) outlay represents overall decrease in spending by 7 percent
  • Total gross revenue of Rs19.28 trillion, total tax revenue of Rs14.1 trillion targeted

KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday announced its federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs17.57 trillion ($62 billion), an overall decrease in spending by 7%, but hiked the defense expenditure by 20% following a recent military conflict with nuclear-armed neighbor India.

Finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented a budget that allocated Rs2.55 trillion ($9 billion) for defense spending in FY26, compared to Rs2.12 trillion in the fiscal year ending this month.

“This budget is being presented at a very important and historic moment when the nation in recent days showed extraordinary unity, determination and strength,” Aurangzeb said, referring to the recent military confrontation with India, in which the militaries of the two nations exchanged drone, missile and artillery attacks, with a combined 70 people killed on both sides. 

Pie chart visualizing the breakdown of Pakistan’s Federal Budget 2025–26 (PKR 17.577 trillion) by major expenditure categories.(AN Photo)

“With this same national unity and determination, we should turn our focus to our economic strength, growth and welfare,” the finance minister said. 

“The spirit with which we protected and strengthened our national sovereignty, we need to ensure our financial security and the welfare of the people with the same unity and strength.”

The military clash between India and Pakistan was sparked by an April attack by assailants who targeted Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir in April, killing 26 men. New Delhi blamed the attack on militants backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. The two sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery against each other before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10 after four days of fighting, their worst in nearly three decades.

Here are some of the key highlights from the country’s 2025-26 budget:

GDP/DEFICIT
* GDP growth projected to be 4.2 percent
* Nominal GDP seen at 129.57 trillion rupees
* Fiscal deficit expected to be 3.9 percent of GDP
* Targets primary surplus of 2.4 percent of GDP

INFLATION
* Targets inflation at 7.5 percent

EXPENDITURE
* Total spending seen at 17.57 trillion rupees
* Defense expenditure of 2.55 trillion rupees targeted
* Interest payments projected at 8.21 trillion rupees

REVENUE
* Total gross revenue of 19.28 trillion rupees targeted
* Targets total tax revenue of 14.1 trillion rupees
* Aiming for net external receipts of 106 billion rupees 


($1 = 282.0000 Pakistani rupees) 


- With inputs from Reuters


Pakistan PM urges global powers to take ‘immediate action’ to end Israeli offensive in Gaza

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

Pakistan PM urges global powers to take ‘immediate action’ to end Israeli offensive in Gaza

  • Over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its latest military offensive in Oct. 7, 2023
  • Pakistan has for decades called for establishment of independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged world powers to take immediate action to end Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, saying he hoped innocent Palestinians would achieve their dream of freedom soon.

Over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and much of the coastal enclave of Gaza devastated since Israel’s latest air and ground offensive began in October 2023, health authorities in Gaza say. 

“The oppression, cruelty and barbarism taking place in Palestine and Kashmir — no matter how much we condemn it, it is not enough” Sharif said while addressing a federal cabinet meeting. 

“But I believe this is a very critical time for the global powers to effectively use their influence to ensure a ceasefire in Palestine, because what is happening there is the shedding of innocent Muslim blood — the blood of little girls, children and parents.”

The Pakistani PM added:

“I have strong hope in Allah Almighty, God willing, that the people of Palestine will gain freedom, the people of Kashmir will gain freedom. They have made tremendous sacrifices.”

Pakistan has been calling for a ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza since the latest war broke out. 

Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has for decades called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Although nearly 150 countries have recognized Palestine statehood, most major Western powers including the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have not. 

Muslim countries that do not recognize Israel include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
 


Pakistan shares range bound amid uncertainty over budget announcement

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

Pakistan shares range bound amid uncertainty over budget announcement

  • Index recorded intraday high of 970 points and low of 51 points, eventually closing at 122,024, gaining 383 points or 0.32 percent
  • Pakistan will unveil annual federal budget, seeking to kickstart growth while finding resources for hike in defense expenditure 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Market witnessed a range-bound session today, Tuesday, with the index fluctuating within a narrow band amid uncertainty surrounding the budget announcement. 

Pakistan will unveil its annual federal budget for the coming fiscal year on Tuesday evening, seeking to kickstart growth while finding resources for an expected hike in defense expenditure following a military conflict with India last month, the worst between the nuclear-armed neighbors in decades. 

Islamabad will also have to contend with remaining within the discipline of its International Monetary Fund program and the uncertainty from new trade tariffs being imposed by the United States, its biggest export market.

“The index recorded an intraday high of 970 points and a low of 51 points, eventually closing at 122,024 — gaining 383 points or 0.32 percent,” brokerage house Topline Securities said in its daily market review. 

“Market participation remained healthy, with total traded volume reaching 591 million shares and a traded value of PKR 21 billion.”

Media reports say the government is likely to present a 17.6 trillion rupee ($62.45 billion) budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, down 6.7 percent from this fiscal year. It has projected a fiscal deficit of 4.8 percent of GDP, against a targeted 5.9 percent deficit in 2024-25, the reports say.

Analysts said they expect an increase of around 20 percent in the defense budget, likely offset by cuts in development spending.

Pakistan allocated 2.1 trillion Pakistani rupees($7.45 billion) for defense in the outgoing fiscal year, including $2 billion for equipment and other assets. An additional 563 billion rupees ($1.99 billion) was set aside for military pensions, which are not counted within the official defense budget.

The government of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has projected 4.2 percent economic growth in 2025-26, saying it has steadied the economy, which had looked at risk of defaulting on its debts as recently as 2023. Growth this fiscal year is likely to be 2.7 percent, against an initial target of 3.6 percent set in the budget last year.

Pakistan’s growth lags far behind the region. In 2024, South Asian countries grew by an average of 5.8 percent and 6.0 percent growth is expected in 2025, according to the Asian Development Bank.

With inputs from Reuters


Pakistan deports over 216,000 illegal migrants since April under ongoing repatriation drive

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

Pakistan deports over 216,000 illegal migrants since April under ongoing repatriation drive

  • The drive against illegal foreigners was launched in November 2023 amid a surge in militancy
  • The country has repatriated a total of 1,102,441 illegal foreigners since the deportations began

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has deported over 216,000 undocumented foreign nationals since April this year as part of a nationwide campaign targeting illegal migrants, mostly Afghan citizens, the country’s interior ministry said on Tuesday.

The repatriation drive, which began in November 2023, was launched in the wake of a spike in suicide bombings and militant activity that Pakistani officials linked to Afghan nationals, though no public evidence was provided to support the claim.

“Since April 1, 2025, a total of 216,103 illegal foreigners have been repatriated and the campaign is ongoing,” the ministry said in its statement.

“Since October 2023, a total of 1,102,441 illegal foreigners have been repatriated under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program,” it added.

Initially, authorities had said the crackdown would focus on those lacking any legal documentation. However, in early 2025, the government expanded the scope to Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, ordering them to leave by March 31 or face deportation starting April 1.

The interior ministry said food and health care arrangements had been made for those in the repatriation process, and that women, children and the elderly are being treated “with dignity and respect.”

It warned that anyone aiding undocumented foreigners with employment or accommodation would also face legal action.

Pakistan has hosted more than 2.8 million Afghan refugees over the past four decades due to prolonged conflict in Afghanistan.

The current deportation campaign has drawn criticism from human rights groups and the Afghan Taliban, who have accused Islamabad of harassment and called for the safe and dignified return of Afghan nationals.

The Pakistani government has denied these allegations, maintaining the repatriation process is being carried out respectfully and in accordance with the law.


Pakistan tells UK lawmakers it wants Indus Waters Treaty revived amid India tensions

Updated 10 June 2025
Follow

Pakistan tells UK lawmakers it wants Indus Waters Treaty revived amid India tensions

  • The Pakistani delegation in London says Islamabad wants ‘composite dialogue’ with New Delhi on all issues
  • It says Pakistan’s military response to the Indian actions was measured and consistent with international law

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani parliamentary delegation visiting key global capitals in the wake of last month’s military standoff with India told British lawmakers Islamabad remains committed to ensuring the revival of the Indus Waters Treaty and promoting regional peace, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. 

The outreach comes after India and Pakistan engaged in their most intense military exchange in years, sparking fears of a full-scale war under a nuclear overhang. Over four days in May, both sides exchanged missile strikes, launched drone attacks and engaged in air combat before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump on May 10.

The crisis was triggered by a militant attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi blamed the assault on Pakistan-based elements, an allegation Islamabad denied, instead calling for an independent international probe. As tensions escalated, the global community moved swiftly to defuse the situation.

Before launching its military strikes, India took several punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspending a decades-old, World Bank-backed water-sharing treaty between the two countries.

“The High-Level Parliamentary delegation from Pakistan, led by the Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, briefed the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pakistan during a meeting hosted by APPG Chair Yasmin Qureshi MP at Westminster Palace, which was attended by cross-party British parliamentarians,” the statement said.

“The delegation underscored Pakistan’s commitment to restraint, revival of the Indus Waters Treaty and initiation of a composite dialogue between the two countries on all outstanding issues, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”

According to the statement, Bhutto-Zardari briefed lawmakers on the consequences of what he described as India’s unprovoked aggression, including violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty in the aftermath of the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

He rejected India’s allegations against Pakistan as baseless, saying they lacked credible investigation or verifiable evidence.

He further warned India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty violated international law and could have serious implications for regional and global peace.

Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Malik also addressed the session, highlighting the environmental and food security risks of disrupting the treaty. 

He warned the suspension threatened the survival of Pakistan’s 240 million people, most of whom rely on agriculture. 

The delegation also emphasized Pakistan’s military response to the Indian actions was measured and consistent with international law, including the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.