ISLAMABAD: A citizen has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment, arguing that it encroaches on judicial matters and violates the separation of powers.
The federal government has been named as the respondent in the constitutional petition, which urges the court to declare the amendment void.
The petitioner contends that while Parliament has the authority to amend the Constitution with a two-thirds majority, it cannot interfere with judicial matters. The plea claims that the 26th Amendment undermines the basic framework of the Constitution by giving the government control over the appointment of the Chief Justice and altering the composition of the Judicial Commission.
The petition requests the Supreme Court to rule the amendment as a violation of fundamental rights and judicial independence.
In a separate case, the 26th Amendment has also been challenged in the Sindh High Court, where Advocate Illahi Bux has filed a petition.
The petitioner seeks to nullify sections 8, 11, and 14 of the amendment, arguing that they conflict with constitutional principles. Secretaries of the Cabinet Division, Law and Justice, and other concerned officials have been made respondents in the case.
