The government successfully passed the contentious 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2024, in the Senate on Sunday, which limits the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) tenure to three years. This move faced opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Commonly referred to as the Constitutional Package, the bill includes a series of proposed amendments to the Constitution, notably the establishment of a fixed term for the Chief Justice. A special parliamentary committee, formed last month with representatives from all parties, including the PTI, had been discussing various proposals.
Once the bill was officially presented, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani read its contents and called for a vote among lawmakers. After the voting concluded, the constitutional amendment bill received approval from a two-thirds majority, with Gilani announcing, “65 members voted in favor, while five voted against.”
Earlier that day, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan declared that his party would not support the constitutional amendment in Parliament. He made this announcement during a press conference alongside Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the latter’s residence, citing harassment and threats against PTI members as reasons for their withdrawal from the process.
