Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, the Speaker of the National Assembly in Pakistan, has called for a revision of the current procedure of judicial appointments due to allegations of favouritism. He believes that the existing system is plagued with biases and needs to be addressed.
Ashraf raised concerns about certain chambers being favored in the selection process, leading to judges being appointed from those chambers. He also highlighted the issue of judges’ children being given preferential treatment and becoming judges themselves, creating a cycle of nepotism in the judiciary.
According to Ashraf, the Parliament should address this problem and empower its relevant committee to make the necessary changes. He criticized the passing of the 19th Amendment in 2011, describing it as an “injustice” towards the Parliament. He claimed that the government at the time put pressure on the Parliament by threatening to invalidate all previous amendments if the 19th Amendment was not passed.
The 19th Amendment aimed to reform the appointments of judges in the superior courts, with the goal of minimizing conflicts between the judiciary and the executive branch. It also increased the number of senior judges as members of the Judicial Commission and outlined the process for appointing ad hoc judges in the superior courts. Additionally, it specified that in case of the National Assembly’s dissolution, the parliamentary committee would consist only of members from the Senate.