Law minister rebuffs rumours about extension in CJP’s tenure

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday rebuffed speculations centred on the imminent retirement of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, saying that the top judge does not want extension in his tenure.

The top judge is set to retire in October this year, but as his retirement draws near, rumours of an “extension” in his tenure through judiciary-centric legislation in parliament have been rife.

However, the Centre has time and again denied these reports, saying that nothing as such was on the cards as CJP Isa has “no interest” in getting an extension. The legal experts say there is no constitutional mechanism for such an extension without amendments to the Constitution. Even if the government wants such an amendment, it would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, which is a challenge in the light of recent Supreme Court verdict on reserved seats favouring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“The two-thirds majority should be discussed when an extension has to be granted,” Tarar said while addressing an event in Islamabad. He said that the chief justice “clearly told me and the attorney general that he doesn’t 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. The speculations about CJP Isa’s extension gained attraction after the PTI sought an early issuance of notification regarding the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), last month.