Pakistani Supreme Court to Hear Petition on Constitutional Amendments
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has scheduled a hearing for October 17 to address a petition challenging the government’s proposed constitutional amendments. These amendments, known as the Constitutional Package, include changes such as extending the tenure of the chief justice. Concerns have been raised that these changes could limit the Supreme Court’s role to only handling appeals or civil and criminal petitions, potentially affecting its independence.
A group of lawyers, led by former Supreme Court Bar Association member Abid Shahid Zuberi, filed the petition in September to prevent the government from presenting the amendments in parliament. Initially, the Supreme Court registrar’s office returned the petition, but a new hearing date has been set. The case will be heard by a bench including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shahid Bilal Hassan, under the leadership of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
Doubts Revealed
Pakistani Supreme Court -: The Pakistani Supreme Court is the highest court in Pakistan. It makes important decisions about laws and justice in the country.
Constitutional Amendments -: Constitutional amendments are changes or additions to a country’s constitution, which is a set of rules that guides how the country is governed.
Chief Justice’s Tenure -: The chief justice is the head judge of the Supreme Court. Tenure refers to the length of time they can hold this position.
Court’s Independence -: Court’s independence means that the court can make decisions without being influenced by the government or other outside forces.
Appeals and Petitions -: Appeals are requests to a higher court to change a decision made by a lower court. Petitions are formal requests to the court to take action on a specific issue.
Abid Shahid Zuberi -: Abid Shahid Zuberi is a lawyer who is leading the petition against the proposed constitutional amendments in Pakistan.
Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shahid Bilal Hassan -: These are the names of two judges who will be hearing the case about the constitutional amendments in the Pakistani Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa -: Qazi Faez Isa is the current chief justice of the Pakistani Supreme Court, leading the team of judges in this case.