Pakistan’s parliament to discuss key judicial and anti-terrorism reform bills

Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate will reconvene on Monday with adjusted timings, as both houses prepare to discuss key legislation aimed at reforming judiciary and anti-terrorism laws.

According to the National Assembly Secretariat, the National Assembly session will now begin at 4 p.m., an hour earlier than previously scheduled.

Members were informed of the change through official notifications. The Senate session, initially set for 4:30 p.m., has been moved to 6 p.m., the Senate Secretariat confirmed.

Parliamentary sources indicate the government is eager to pass significant legislation in these sessions, urging coalition members to ensure their attendance.

Lawmakers are expected to vote on the Anti-Terrorism Act Amendment Bill 2024, which was introduced by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar in the National Assembly on Friday and referred to the Standing Committee for review.

In the Senate, Tarar also presented the Practice and Procedure Ordinance Bill 2024 on Friday, which aims to standardize judicial procedures and streamline Supreme Court functions. This bill, too, has been sent to the Standing Committee.

On Friday, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice approved an increase in Supreme Court judges from 17 to 25, including the Chief Justice.

If passed, this expansion would allow for more efficient handling of constitutional cases, with a proposed provision to reserve five to ten judges specifically for constitutional matters. However, the proposal has faced opposition from PTI Senator Hamid Khan and JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza, who expressed concerns about the judicial expansion.

Sources suggest that with the additional appointments, the government may achieve greater flexibility in fulfilling its legislative objectives.

The Anti-Terrorism Act Amendment Bill is expected to be up for approval in Monday's National Assembly session, while the Senate will likely consider finalizing the increase in the number of Supreme Court judges.