A group of five justices had recently expressed concerns over the planned selection of the Islamabad High Court’s chief justice. They are concerned that this could undermine the independence of the judiciary and stress the need for judges to be free from outside influences when making appointments.
Discussions on the independence of Pakistan’s judiciary have sparked this worry. One major concern about the 26th Amendment is that it could give politicians more power to influence who is appointed to the judiciary. The change was denounced by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) as endangering the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.
The necessity of maintaining a fair judiciary is emphasized by the judges’ objections, which draw attention to the persistent conflict between the various parts of government. To keep the judiciary free from political interference, many in the legal community are calling for open and merit-based appointment procedures.
A well-functioning democracy relies on the separation of powers, and the court is crucial in protecting constitutional ideals. Judgmental independence must be safeguarded against any threats, as these judges’ concerns demonstrate.
