Amid speculation about potential extensions for Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Army Chief General Asim Munir, National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub on Monday urged the government to “immediately” announce the name of the next chief justice. Speaking in the assembly, Ayub warned against any legislation regarding the appointment and emphasized the need for immediate clarity. Chief Justice Isa is set to retire on October 25.
In response, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar assured that the appointment would be made according to the Constitution, with the most senior judge ascending to the role of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). He clarified that the constitutional provisions apply only to the appointment of the Supreme Court’s chief justice and not to the high courts. Tarar referenced the appointment of the Lahore High Court chief justice to support his point.
The National Assembly’s business advisory committee also discussed convening a joint session of parliament next week. The law minister ruled out any constitutional amendments during the joint session, though some sources within the ruling coalition hinted that important amendments might still be introduced, possibly relating to a uniform extension in the retirement age of superior court judges.
Omar Ayub expressed gratitude to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for issuing production orders for Haji Imtiaz Chaudhry, allowing him to attend the session, and commended the speaker for upholding this tradition. Ayub condemned recent terrorist activities in Punjab’s Katcha area and called for the dismissal of the Punjab police chief. He also announced that the PTI would hold a grand public rally on September 8, regardless of the circumstances. PTI lawmakers staged a walkout in protest after the speaker refused to allow Asad Qaiser to speak.
In legislative developments, the National Assembly passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which many see as an attempt to delay the long-overdue local government elections in the federal capital. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and become law following presidential assent.
During the session’s question hour, the assembly was informed about various initiatives by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to increase public internet accessibility. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar mentioned that the PTA had allowed the use of the six-gigahertz spectrum band for unlicensed Radio Local Area Network operations, facilitating the deployment of next-generation WiFi technology in Pakistan. The PTA has also developed a telecom infrastructure-sharing framework to support the growth and sustainability of the telecom sector.
In response to another query, Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif announced that the New Gwadar International Airport project is complete and expected to be operational by the end of the year.
Several reports from various standing committees were presented before the lower house, including ‘The State vs. Mubarak Ahmad Sani and another,’ ‘The Establishment of Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal Bill 2024,’ ‘The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024,’ ‘The Apostille Bill 2024,’ and ‘The Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024.’
