Senate Committee Approves Increase in Supreme Court Judges to 25

The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice has approved a proposal to expand the number of judges in the Supreme Court to 25. Led by Chairman Farooq H. Naek, the committee session reached a majority decision, despite opposition from PTI and JUI representatives.

As per the approved arrangement, the Supreme Court will now include 24 judges in addition to the Chief Justice. PTI Senator Hamid Khan voiced strong objections, citing concerns over judicial independence and calling the increase “a blow to the judiciary.” He criticized the recent 26th Amendment, expressing concerns that expanding the court could be a move to secure preferred verdicts.

JUI Senator Kamran Murtaza echoed similar concerns, stating that the increase appears to be an attempt to influence the court’s composition. Murtaza noted that the current number of judges has been working effectively since October 25, arguing that any additional appointments are unnecessary.

Senator Shahadat Awan proposed that the Supreme Court should have at least 21 judges, presenting this as a balanced figure for the court’s workload.

Committee Chairman Naek also urged the Law Secretary to clarify the number of pending cases, estimated at around 60,000, and requested an update. The Law Secretary requested at least three weeks to gather and submit the relevant information.