PTI rejects newly-approved bills, accuses govt of silencing opposition

Barrister Gohar says bills passed hastily with many lawmakers unaware of the content they approved

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the swift passage of six controversial bills in parliament, accusing the government of using the legislature as a “rubber stamp.” 

Speaking to journalists outside the Parliament House on Monday, he criticised the recent legislative push, which included bills impacting both judicial and military appointments.

The PTI leader asserted that the legislative process had been rushed, leaving many lawmakers uninformed about the content of the bills they had just approved. 

He accused the government of diminishing parliamentary debate, saying, “Pakistan’s parliament is being made a rubber-stamp. The opposition’s voice in the House is being silenced. This monarchy cannot be the fate of the Pakistani nation.”

Among the key bills passed were the “Supreme Court Number of Judges (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” which would increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court to 34, purportedly to reduce the backlog of cases. 

Other amendments included changes to the Islamabad High Court structure, as well as adjustments to laws governing the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force. 

Barrister Gohar argued that the government’s amendments sought to interfere in the judiciary, suggesting the legislation was aimed at enabling the government to appoint a chief justice of its choosing. “A state has three pillars; if you weaken one, you are weakening the whole state,” he added.

He further criticised the potential implications for democracy and the rights of Pakistan’s citizens, stating that these bills push the nation toward an authoritarian model. “The people of Pakistan reject any legislation that would lead the country towards a monarchy,” he said.