The government on Monday tabled two bills in the Senate—one aimed at regulating public gatherings in Islamabad and another to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court—with the lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposing both proposed legislations.
The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024 aims to empower district magistrates to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad, and requires coordinators to apply for permission in writing seven days before any event. Additionally, it empowers the government to designate any area of the federal capital as a “red” or “high security” zone, banning all public gatherings in it.
“The assembly shall proceed and take place at the specified locality or route, in the manner and during the times mentioned in the permission,” it read, adding the magistrate could also deny permission for any gatherings that pose risks to public safety or could disrupt routine life. It states that any ban imposed by a magistrate would remain in force for the duration specified by them and could be extended if prevailing conditions persist.
“An officer-in-charge of a police station, on the instruction of the district magistrate, may command any assembly likely to disturb the public peace to disperse,” it said. If participants do not comply, it said, police could to use force and, if necessary, detain participants of any “unlawful assembly.” Anyone found guilty of violating the proposed law, it said, could face imprisonment for at least three years and a maximum of 10 years.
The PPP, the Balochistan Awami Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), and the Awami National Party supported the bill moved by PMLN Senator Irfan Siddiqui. Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz of the PTI opposed the bill, alleging it was “PTI-specific.” He said the bill should be referred to the standing committee for further deliberations. PTI parliamentary leader Ali Zafar echoed his concerns, claiming the bill was aimed at preventing his party from gathering in Islamabad.
After the debate, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani referred it to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice, and sought the submission of a report within two days.
SC judges
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) (Amendment) Act, 2024, meanwhile, sought to increase the number of judges of the Supreme Court from 17 to 21, including the chief justice of Pakistan, and was also referred to the standing committee concerned. Moved by independent Balochistan Senator Abdul Qadir, the bill aims to expand the number of judges available to reduce the number of pending cases in the apex court.
Qadir said the bill aimed to enable quick justice and clear pendency of over 53,000 cases in the Supreme Court, lamenting that many litigants had to up to two years to get their cases fixed in the top court. He said judges were consistently delaying decisions on common people’s cases due to their involvement in constitutional cases.
Opposing the bill, the PTI claimed it was aimed at “packing” the court with handpicked judges to get favorable decisions. Zafar said he could agree with the addition of two judges but felt four was too many and called for the government to commence judicial reforms in the lower judiciary. “This is called court-stacking,” he claimed.
Defending the bill, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the issue should not be politicized. He noted some cases of prisoners facing death and life imprisonment had been pending since 2015, adding it was Parliament’s right to decide the number of judges in the apex court as it chose. He then urged the Senate chairman to refer the matter to the committee concerned.