ISLAMABAD: During a Senate session, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Senator Barrister Ali Zafar raised concerns about the government’s influence over the newly established “Constitutional Bench,” claiming it allows the government to appoint judges of its choice to key judicial positions.

Zafar explained that while there was initially a plan to form a “Constitutional Court,” it was replaced by the Constitutional Bench, which now gives the government more control over the selection of judges.

He highlighted that the process for appointing the Chief Justice, which traditionally follows seniority, could now be bypassed, allowing the government to prioritize its preferred judges over senior ones.

Zafar warned that this would lead to the government filling the bench with its favored judges, threatening the independence of the judiciary.

Referring to a meeting with PTI’s founder, Zafar noted that the leader had stressed the importance of consultation on the constitutional amendments. However, PTI decided not to participate in the voting process due to concerns over the lack of democratic procedures.

Zafar emphasized that constitutional amendments should reflect the will of the people, but expressed frustration that many parliamentarians had not even read the proposed bill.

He argued that passing such legislation without proper scrutiny would harm democracy and undermine the legislative process.