18th Amend made major changes in constitution

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said the 18th Amendment had made large scale changes in the constitution and restored the parliamentary system in real sense but the Prime Minister has been deprived of the consultation over appointment of the judges.Heading a 17-member larger bench hearing a set of petitions on certain provisions of the 18th Amendment the CJP said the prime minister’s powers had been restored after taking them from the president. However, his role had been minimised in judges’ appointment issue as envisaged under Article 175-A.Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani remarked that the powers had been given to a parliamentary committee that would not be elected by parliamentarians. He said the proposed procedure for judges’ appointment diminished powers of the president, the prime minister and the chief justice. Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday remarked that the judiciary was separated and detached from the executive, but now the latter’s role was being enhanced while in the UK, the executive’s role was minimised in appointment of judges.