ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Sunday said that the government has no plan to weaken or limit the powers of the Supreme Court.
Khawaja Asif described such notions as completely mistaken and said they arise from misinterpretation. He emphasized that the proposed amendment provides the creation of a separate Constitutional Court while fully safeguarding judicial independence.
He highlighted that the Supreme Court currently has over 55,000 pending cases, of which less than 15 percent are of constitutional nature.
Khawaja Asif explained that constitutional cases are referred at different times, making it necessary to establish a separate constitutional bench or court to handle constitutional and general cases independently.
He noted that the Supreme Court’s heavy load of criminal, property, and other cases affects the timely handling of constitutional matters.
He added that many countries have systems where cases of different types are addressed separately, ensuring efficiency. He further emphasized that critics should view the matter impartially, noting that PTI had previously supported the idea of a constitutional court.
Khawaja Asif rejected the notion that judiciary would be run like the bureaucracy, stating that courts will function independently, hear cases, and deliver verdicts without government interference.