In Pakistan, parliament passes law curtailing powers of supreme court chief justice

Pakistan's parliament has passed a new law to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court's chief justice, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on [31 March], a move that comes amid a row between the higher judiciary and the government. Tarar had introduced the bill in the lower house of the parliament on [29 March] and it was passed by the senate, or upper house, on [30 March]. [...] The Supreme Court earlier this month ordered the snap polls to be held in the two provinces within 90 days of the dissolution of the two local government, which falls by April 30. [The government argues that holding snap elections and a general election in the same year is not economically viable.] The new draft law, which has been sent to Pakistan's president for assent, has cut down the chief justice's powers to constitute panels, hear appeals or assign cases to judges in his team, according to a copy of the bill. These tasks will now be done by a three-member committee headed by the chief justice with his two most senior judges as members.
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