Govt bulldozes six key bills through parliament

The coalition government pushed six important bills through both houses of parliament on Monday, despite loud protests from the opposition led by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The National Assembly approved all six bills in just 24 minutes, followed by the Senate in a swift 16 minutes, without allowing any debate.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar introduced the judiciary-related bills, while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented those extending the tenures of the country’s three armed forces chiefs from three to five years.

The legislation regarding the increase in judges was expected, but the extension of services chiefs’ tenures surprised many.

Late-night reports indicated that acting President Yousuf Raza Gillani had signed the bills into law.

The bills included amendments that raise the number of judges in the Supreme Court from 17 to a maximum of 34 and in the Islamabad High Court from nine to 12.

Despite opposition uproar, including tearing up agendas and chanting slogans, the government defended the bills as necessary for reducing the backlog of cases in the courts.

The swift passage of these bills marks a significant change in Pakistan’s legal and military framework.