ISLAMABAD: Responding to questions related to the appointment of the new Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Saturday said his ministry had set October 25 as the deadline for issuing the notification of the appointment of the new supreme judge.

“The notification will be issued InshaAllah,” Tarar said while speaking to reporters in Islamabad today, adding that the notification for the new CJP may be issued one or two days before the retirement of the outgoing judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

“The government will issue the notification on October 24 regarding the venue of the swearing-in ceremony (of the new CJP),” he said.

He added that the notification of the new CJP is issued one or two days before the retirement of the holder, in accordance with tradition.

Detailing the reason for the early notification of Justice Isa’s appointment as the Chief Justice, the Justice Minister said the notification was issued early in view of the formation of the caretaker government.

It is pertinent to mention here that the main opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had requested the federal government to appoint the next CJP at the earliest, alleging that the government was planning to extend the tenure of Justice Isa via its judicial system. centered constitutional amendment which the party strongly opposed.

The party founded by Imran Khan had announced its support for Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who is next in line to become the chief justice, as the next supreme judge of the country.

Tarar, commenting on the progress made on the draft constitutional amendment, said the controversial legislation could be passed before or after October 25, the day CJP Isa retires.

“We have formed a subcommittee of legal experts to give recommendations to the parliamentary committee (…) discussions are underway on four to five points (of the draft amendment),” he added .

His statement came after a session of the special parliamentary committee – a body headed by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MP Syed Khursheed Shah, representing all parties – formed to discuss the contentious constitutional amendment and reach a consensus.

The proposed amendments, also called the constitutional or judicial package, among others, seek to create a Federal Constitutional Court and set the CJP’s term at three years.

The government attempted to introduce a bill to amend the Constitution last month, but its allies as well as opposition members fiercely opposed the proposal, forcing the administration to begin a consultation process.

However, progress was seen in the ongoing consultation process on the 56-point draft, as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman showed a day ago his desire to support the government’s “constitutional project”. package” with “if and but”.

After today’s meeting, the Fazl-led party refused to support the government’s proposal to set up a separate court to hear constitutional cases, instead proposing to form a constitutional court for such cases.

To adopt the constitutional amendments, the government needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament, while it lacks 13 votes in the National Assembly (AN) and nine in the Senate.