President Asif Ali Zardari has approved a controversial bill appointing retired high court judges to election tribunals to settle electoral disputes. The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, grants the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) the power to appoint retired high court judges without consulting chief justices of relevant apex courts.
Despite opposition protests, the bill was passed in both the National Assembly and Senate. The bill, now an act under Article 75 of the Constitution, allows for the appointment of serving judges in the election tribunal with consultation with the chief justice of the high court.
The amendment aims to address the heavy workload of high courts and ensure swift adjudication of election petitions. Additionally, retired district and sessions judges are now eligible for appointment to election tribunals for local government elections.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is addressing the controversy over who should appoint election tribunals, the ECP or the Lahore High Court, with a recent suspension of the LHC’s appointment of tribunals in Punjab. The ordinance, signed earlier by Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, allows for retired judges to serve on election tribunals alongside serving judges.