ISLAMABAD: Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has dismissed the likelihood of extending Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s tenure as the top judge amidst ongoing speculation surrounding his impending retirement.
CJP Qazi Faez Isa is scheduled to retire in October this year, but as his retirement approaches, there have been widespread rumors of a possible “extension” in his tenure through judiciary-related legislation in parliament.
However, the government has repeatedly denied these reports, stating that nothing of the sort is being considered, as CJP Isa has “no interest” in seeking an extension.
Legal experts assert that there is no constitutional provision for such an extension without amendments to the Constitution. Even if the government seeks such an amendment, it would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, which poses a challenge in light of the recent Supreme Court verdict on reserved seats favoring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
“The two-thirds majority should be discussed when an extension needs to be granted,” Tarar stated while speaking at an event in Islamabad.
Azam mentioned that the chief justice “explicitly told both me and the attorney general that he does not want an extension.”
The minister said that CJP Qazi Faez Isa is a respectable person and it was not appropriate to repeatedly say that he is seeking an extension.
“I request the media persons to talk about some other topic as it was unnecessary to discuss the top judge’s extension repeatedly,” he added.
As stated earlier by the law minister, the principle of seniority will be followed in the appointment of a new top judge of the country. Senior Puisne Judge Mansoor Ali Shah is next in line to become the country’s top judge.
Speculations about CJP Isa’s extension intensified after PTI requested an early notification regarding the appointment of the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) last month.
