19th Amendment

Before being sent to the president for formal assent, the amendment bill was passed
unanimously by the Senate, whereas, the National Assembly passed it with a two-thirds
majority.

The bill was drafted by the 26-member Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms,
which also authored the landmark 18th Amendment that introduced a parliamentary role in top
judicial appointments and was unanimously adopted by both houses of parliament in April.

Features of the 19th Amendment

The 19th Amendment Bill, while envisaging a new system for appointments in the
superior courts, aims at neutralising a probable source of conflict between the judiciary
and the executive.

The amendment also raises the number of senior judges as members of the Judicial
Commission to four.

Under the amendment, recommendations for the appointments of ad hoc judges in the
superior courts will be made by the Chief Justice of Pakistan in consultation with the
Judicial Commission.